Miami Gets a New Destination, British Airways Swaps Plane Types, and Other Airline News You Might’ve Missed

Welcome back to another roundup. This week focuses mainly on interesting route updates coming to the U.S. soon.

Miami (MIA) gets a nonstop route to a new country, British Airways is changing which U.S. airports it will send its biggest aircraft to, and SWISS makes North America a priority for its new Airbus A350. When you factor in the news of a surprising new airline customer for the Airbus A339-900 and some interesting new partnerships, this should make for an interesting read.

Miami Now Has a Nonstop Flight to Iceland, Thanks to Icelandair

Icelandair’s flight from Reykjavik (KEF) to Miami (MIA) is scheduled to touch down at 9:55 p.m. on Saturday, October 25.

This is a notable new route for several reasons. It will mark only the second time Miami has had a nonstop flight to Iceland after the now-defunct WOW Air ended its route in 2028.

Taking things up an AvGeek level, this will be Icelandair’s first-ever flight to Miami. Blocked at 8 hours and 40 minutes, it will also be the airline’s longest route.

Icelandair’s Airbus A321LR will operate the route to Miami on a seasonal basis, 3 times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays until May 2026. Rather than flying straight back to Iceland, the plane will spend the night in Miami before returning the following day on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

The schedule is as follows:

• Depart Reykjavik (KEF) at 5:15 p.m. and arrive in Miami (MIA) at 8:55 p.m.
• Depart Miami (MIA) at 5:15 p.m. and arrive in Reykjavik (KEF) at 5:55 a.m. (+1)

Miami will be Icelandair’s 19th North American destination, and it likely won’t be the last addition as the Icelandic carrier picks up the slack from the recently defunct PLAY Airlines.

British Airways Updates Its U.S. Airbus A380 Schedule

Qantas won’t be the only airline flying the Airbus A380 to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) from next spring.

From May 21, 2026, British Airways will restart flying its version of the Superjumbo between London Heathrow (LHR) and Dallas. BA’s last A380-operated flight to Dallas was back on March 29, 2025, which marked the temporary end of the British flag carrier’s route to the Texan city.

After leaving American Airlines with a monopoly on the route over the summer, British Airways will restart flying to Dallas this coming October 26 with the Airbus A350 until the A380 takes over in May next year.

Also on October 26, British Airways’ double daily A380 service to Miami restarts its northern winter schedule.

In further A380 news, the British flag carrier will stop sending the aircraft to Washington Dulles (IAD) as of November 7, 2025. Instead, the route will be operated by a mixture of its other long-haul aircraft.

A Surprising Next Customer of the Airbus A330-900neo

The fact that there are fewer than 200 Airbus A330-900s speaks not to the plane’s unpopularity but rather its relative newness to the industry. The combination of the aircraft’s redesigned wings and new-generation engines makes it more efficient than older Airbus A330 variants.

It’s been popular with many airlines, including Delta, whose fleet currently comprises more of the aircraft type than any other airline in the world.

Next year, the ever-popular aircraft is set to join the fleet of Brazilian airline GOL, whose fleet currently comprises only variants of the narrow-body Boeing 737 family. Due to the lack of wide-body jets, GOL’s route network is mostly limited to South America, with a few exceptions in Central America and Florida, thanks to the extended range of the Boeing 737 MAX.

Once GOL has A330-900neo in its fleet, it could use its longer range to reach new destinations in Europe and across the U.S. for the first time. Its entrance into these markets could help to drive down fares, especially on routes that are only operated by LATAM, the largest airline in South America.

SWISS Adds Second North American A350 Destination

Having just received the first of its 10-strong order of Airbus A350-900 planes, SWISS is stealing all the limelight in Europe.

The reason behind all the attention is that SWISS has used the aircraft to debut a new passenger experience in all cabins, namely, SWISS Senses.

After previously confirming that the A350’s first route would be to Boston (BOS), this week, SWISS revealed Montréal (YUL) as the second long-haul destination to welcome the carrier’s best-in-class aircraft.

SWISS Senses is the name SWISS chose for the holistic experience onboard its Airbus A350. From redesigned cabins, improved seat comfort, and advanced technology to reimagined in-flight service delivery, the initiative aimed to make the onboard experience feel more premium for every passenger, no matter the cabin class.

The first SWISS Senses-equipped Airbus A350 will touch down in Boston for the first time on November 20, followed by Montréal on February 23, 2026.

More Route Cuts for Avelo

Low-cost Avelo has had a rough year. After announcing the complete end of West Coast services — where the airline first launched — the carrier is making further cuts.

Now, the carrier will pull out of Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Connecticut next year, as first reported by WFSB-TV in Hartford. That means an end to the airport’s nonstop Avelo flights to Jamaica, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. These services will end in January 2026.

A Pair of Interesting New Partnerships

Qatar Airways, a Oneworld alliance member, has formed a new frequent flyer partnership with China’s Xiamen Airlines, which is a SkyTeam member. Members can now earn and redeem points when flying with the other airline.

Additionally, Delta and Korean Air purchased a 25% stake in Canada’s WestJet this week, as reported by The Bulkhead Seat. The price tag was a combined $550 million, and these airlines have had codeshare partnerships for several years. Now, they’ll be even closer.

Final Thoughts

Routes, routes, and more routes. Without them, we wouldn’t be going anywhere, and this industry wouldn’t exist. That’s why when airlines launch new routes like Icelandair’s to Miami and and SWISS adding A350 service to another North American city, we love to let you know about them.

And while it’s too far away — and doesn’t have specifics — we’ll be keeping an eye on Delta’s confirmed interest in flying to Saudi Arabia.