Look, layovers are the worst. You’re either sprinting through terminals or buying things you don’t need in duty-free. But what if we told you that skipping the connection could save you both time and money?
We crunched the numbers (so you don’t have to). These new direct airline routes from the UK aren’t just faster. They’re also up to £260 cheaper than one-stop flights. Here are our favourites.
New direct routes from London
London-Stansted (STN)
✈️ Stansted → Rotterdam (RTM) on Transavia
📅 Starts: April 2025
💸 Save: £116
🕒 Save: Almost 20 hours
Welcome to your new favourite weekend getaway. One of Europe’s most underrated cities is now easier to reach from Stansted. Modern architecture, great art museums like the Kunsthal Rotterdam, cute canals, and a varied food scene are some of the highlights.
✈️ Stansted → Luebeck (LBC) on Ryanair and Malta Air
📅 Starts: Ryanair from April 2025, Malta Air from June 2025
💸 Save: £262
🕒 Save: 12 hours 10 minutes
If you’d prefer to go a little further, try the German city of Lübeck. Spend a long weekend exploring the city’s old town, visiting historic beer houses, and indulging in the region’s famous marzipan treats. For a more extended trip, combine with a day trip to nearby Hamburg.
London-Gatwick (LGW)
✈️ Gatwick → Rimini (RMI) on easyJet
📅 Starts: April 2025
💸 Save: £161
🕒 Save: 12 hours
Italy’s Adriatic coast has become a lot more accessible. A solid spring-to-autumn option for beach breaks and Italian charm. BA will also add direct flights from Heathrow starting in May for the summer months.
London-Heathrow (LHR)
✈️ Heathrow → Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) on Vueling
📅 Starts: March 2025
💸 Save: £102
🕒 Save: 8 hours 35 minutes
This new direct flight from Heathrow is perfect for a city break. If you know someone doing the Camino and want to meet them at the end, this route is a great option too.
New direct flight routes from Bournemouth
Chania, Greece
✈️ Bournemouth → Chania (CHQ) on Ryanair
📅 Starts: June 2025
💸 Save: £154
🕒 Save: 6 hours 20 minutes
Kick off an island-hopping summer in Chania, on Crete’s west coast. New for summer 2025, this flight route will bring you to the sun and plenty of beaches. Better yet, you’ll save over £100 compared to booking a stopover.
Fuerteventura, Spain
✈️ Bournemouth → Fuerteventura (FUE) on Jet2 and Ryanair
📅 Starts: April 2025
💸 Save: £141
🕒 Save: 9 hours 43 minutes
Your family holiday to the Canary Islands just got easier and cheaper. Fly direct to this classic destination and enjoy plenty of white-sand beaches and year-round warmth. If you get bored, there are plenty of options for water sports too, think surfing and windsurfing.
New destinations from Bristol and Liverpool
Kalamata, Greece
✈️ Bristol → Kalamata (KLX) on Jet2
📅 Starts: May 2025
💸 Save: £235
🕒 Save: 18 hours 30 minutes
One of the most dramatic time and money savers on the list. Reach Greece’s Peloponnese with zero layovers and savings of over £200. Expect beach bars, a summer dance festival, and yes, plenty of olives.
Split, Croatia
✈️ Liverpool → Split (SPU) on easyJet
📅 Starts: June 2025
💸 Save: £138
🕒 Save: 13 hours 18 minutes
Croatia’s coastal star joins the direct route club. Book early for sun and sea without the stopover.
New routes from Manchester airport
Exeter, UK
✈️ Manchester → Exeter (EXT) on Loganair
📅 Starts: October 2025
💸 Save: £165
🕒 Save: 7 hours
Save yourself a lengthy stopover or train ride from October, with this new regional route.
Rennes, France
✈️ Manchester → Rennes (RNS) on easyJet
📅 Starts: June 2025
💸 Save: £137
🕒 Save: 8 hours 50 minutes
Rennes is where medieval charm meets youthful student energy. Imagine cobbled streets lined with half-timbered houses and vibrant cafés. Don’t miss the Marché des Lices food market on Saturdays.
New airline routes and destinations for summer 2025
Planning a sunshine break? These new routes launching in summer 2025 can get you there faster — and in many cases, cheaper. (Look for the minus symbol in the price difference to make sure you save money flying direct.)
Top summer picks:
- Save £138 on the new direct route from Liverpool to Split, Croatia
- Save £137 on the new direct route from Manchester to Rennes
- Save almost 10 hours on the new route from London to Funchal on the island of Madeira, Portugal
New airline routes and destinations for autumn/winter 2025
Whether you’re chasing winter sun, snow, or culture, these new routes launching in autumn or winter 2025 make it easier to escape the UK chill.
Top autumn/winter picks:
- Enjoy some winter sun and save £108 on the new direct route from London Southend to Lanzarote
- Save over 13 hours on Virgin’s new direct flight to Cancun from London Heathrow
- Enjoy Christmas markets in Vienna or Prague, direct from Bournemouth
Money Savings: For airfare savings calculations, KAYAK compared return economy flight prices of the new direct routes to the non-direct alternatives for the same origin-destination pairs that were searched between 1 Jan. 2025 and 31 Mar. 2025 for travel between 1 Jan. – 31 Dec 2025. Savings are on average and are subject to change.
New Flight Routes Selection: Air traffic data for 2025 was sourced from Cirium. New direct routes were identified by comparing 2025 schedules to those from 2024, highlighting non-stop airport routes that did not previously exist. For each route, the operating airline and launch date are presented.
Time Savings: For time savings calculations, KAYAK compared flight durations of the new direct routes to the non-direct alternatives for the same origin-destination pairs that were searched between 1 Jan. 2025 and 31 Mar. 2025 for travel between 1 Jan – 31 Dec. 2025
