EasyJet is launching a new route from London Gatwick to Milan´s Malpensa Airport which got underway with a dozen flights a week on December 1. The airline expects to carry over 180,000 passengers during the first 12 months of operation.

Air Canada announced that it will introduce nonstop flights between Montreal and Mexico City beginning June 17, 2006, as Air Canada will start operating year-round daily nonstop service linking Canada´s second largest city, and its extensive eastern Canada network, with the Mexican capital. Flights are conveniently timed to offer travelers a wide range of connecting flights in Mexico City to and from Acapulco, Cancun, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Puerto Vallarta, and in Montreal to and from: Ottawa, Quebec City, Moncton and Halifax.

American Airlines announced today that it has applied to the United States Department of Transportation for authorization to begin codeshare cooperation with Vietnam Airlines in early 2006. The two airlines plan to implement their codeshare services in phases. Initially, codeshare flights would be offered from the United States to Japan and Europe, with Vietnam Airlines placing its "VN" designator code on American Airlines flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Paris and Frankfurt from the U.S., which connect to Vietnam Airlines flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The airlines would also codeshare on select domestic routes.

The Caribbean remains a popular vacation destination choice among U.S. travelers and most airlines are starting to take notice to meet the demand for flights into the region, says the Caribbean Tourism Organization. This fall and winter, consumers will have more options into the Caribbean from both big air carriers and budget airlines. Also, with an increase in intra-Caribbean air service, vacationers will be able to hop around the islands with greater ease.

Trinidad & Tobago´s Trade and Industry Minister Kenneth Valley said last week that BWIA would start flying to Costa Rica once again. Mr. Valley made the announcement following the signing of a free trade agreement between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Republic of Costa Rica at the Hilton Trinidad, in Port-of-Spain.

Competition for the lucrative Northeast business-traveler market is heating up as JetBlue Airways Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. announced last week they are both adding more flights in the region. JetBlue announced a new service on Friday between Boston and Washington, D.C., a day after Delta said it was offering more flights on its shuttle service between the two cities and New York. JetBlue recently added service between New York and Boston.