New Flight Route Updates…

Oliver Broad

Posted: 10 June 2026

The UK’s flight map is expanding again and there are some great new opportunities for our RB Family of clients from regional and London airports. Shorter flying times, more direct routes and better timings mean it has never been easier to reach luxury beach escapes, slow‑travel hideaways, culture‑rich city breaks, and now a growing choice of long‑haul adventures without a complicated journey.

Starting with Birmingham, new routes this summer include Nice, the perfect South of France gateway for the luxury traveller. From here you have easy access to Cannes, St Tropez, Villefranche, Eze and Cap Ferrat. We also welcome new services to Agadir, Marrakech, Tirana and Rome, putting character‑rich riads, stylish rooftop bars and off‑the‑beaten‑track Adriatic hideaways within easy reach. For luxury travellers, that means more non‑stop access to high‑end desert camps and private‑driver cultural touring.

Looking ahead to next year, there are more Greek and Mediterranean flights being added to islands such as Samos and additional capacity into hotspots such as Chania in Crete (the closest airport to the newly opened Ikos Kissamos) and Santorini. These flights pair beautifully with upscale villas, premium all‑inclusive hotels, adults‑only and family‑oriented resorts and private yacht charters across the Aegean. Closer to home, a new direct service to Jersey is also being added for summer 2027 from Birmingham.

From Manchester, newly added destinations include Algiers, Bari, Montpellier, Preveza, Jerez de la Frontera, La Palma, Palermo, Pula, Samos, Castellón and Rimini for this summer. Preveza and Samos are refined gateways to boutique Ionian and Aegean island holidays, with easy access to small‑scale, design‑driven hotels away from the more popular islands. La Palma, the lesser‑known Canary Island, and Castellón offer quieter, more authentic corners of Spain – ideal for slow‑travel itineraries, private hiking guides and star‑gazing or wine‑focused escapes.

London’s airports continue to add new services, but for leisure travellers the story is increasingly about using those links to reach niche experiences rather than just capital cities. Recent and upcoming routes from London include Bari, Jerez and Samos, often shared with regional bases like Birmingham and Manchester. From a luxury perspective, this allows London‑based guests to skip traditional hubs and fly straight into regions where you can go from aircraft to coastal vineyard, private farmhouse or design hotel within an hour. For those already in the capital, it makes short, high‑value long‑weekends more realistic; think three nights of slow food in Puglia or a wine‑and‑sherry break in Jerez.

East Midlands Airport has added new summer 2026 routes to Agadir, Costa de Almería, Preveza, Thessaloniki, Chania, Pula and Split. These flights provide direct access to rising luxury hotspots: minimalist beachfront hotels around Almería, stylish riads and desert lodges via Agadir, chic Greek properties in Halkidiki and Crete, and yacht‑friendly marinas along the Croatian coast.

Beyond the Midlands, a wave of new routes from Liverpool, Scotland, Bristol and Bournemouth is making it easier to “fly local, travel in style”. From Liverpool, non‑stops to Lisbon, Naples, Paphos, Marrakesh and Tirana unlock chic city stays, vineyard retreats and character‑packed Riads without a London connection. 

In Scotland, Edinburgh’s new link to Ljubljana opens the door to boutique lakeside hotels and slow‑travel journeys through Slovenia’s wine and mountain regions. Bristol’s additions – including Bari, Seville, Thessaloniki, Sal (Cape Verde) and Enfidha – bring Puglian farmhouses, Andalucían palacios and five‑star Greek and North African beach resorts within easy reach of the Southwest. 

Bournemouth has new flights to Trapani in western Sicily giving South Coast travellers a direct route into understated luxury: think family‑run wine estates, island‑hopping to the Egadi Islands and private‑guided culture in baroque hilltowns.

Alongside all these short‑haul openings, there is a quietly significant shift in long‑haul too. Direct and one‑stop options to the Caribbean, Sri Lanka, wider Asia/Australasia and Canada are expanding, giving us more flexibility when we design your next big trip.

Across the Caribbean, enhanced direct services from London into islands such as Barbados, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, St Lucia and Grenada mean smoother journeys into villa stays, boutique beachfront hideaways and elegant all‑suite resorts. Pair these flights with fast‑track arrival, chauffeured transfers, yacht days and curated dining and you have effortless, high‑touch winter sun, created by RB especially for you.

Sri Lanka becomes easier from late 2026, with an additional non‑stop link from London into Colombo. That opens the door to elegant, tailor‑made journeys through tea country, historic Galle Fort and the laid‑back south coast, with private driver‑guides, wildlife encounters and thoughtful cultural experiences along the way.

Further east, strengthened links between the UK, Asia and Australasia, including a forthcoming non‑stop service to Melbourne, make it simpler to combine city stopovers, vineyard regions and beach escapes in a single, well‑paced itinerary.

Canada offers easier access to the Rockies, the Maritimes and beyond, with scenic rail, boutique city hotels and wilderness lodges all on the table.

With so many new opportunities available, where will you go next? Get in touch and we can brainstorm ideas together.

 

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