IF you are itching to book a holiday next year but want to try somewhere new, you’re in luck.
All of the airlines in the UK have expanded their list of destinations with lots of new places to fly to in 2026.
From little-known paradise islands to fairytale Europe city breaks, here’s a round-up of the best new routes launching in 2026.
Short and mid-haul
easyJet – Rome, Ljubljana, Reus, Thessaloniki
easyJet has introduced four new routes for next summer, to destinations in Spain, Greece, Italy and Slovenia.
The major airline flies from 22 airports in the UK to a whopping 130+ destinations.
Holidaymakers will be able to fly from Birmingham to Rome Fiumicino to explore one of the world’s most popular capital cities.
Flights start from March 5, 2026, and run four times a week.
The new route from Edinburgh to Ljubljana in Slovenia will be Scotland’s only direct connection to the country.
Ljubljana is a fairytale-like city with castle views and pretty cafe-lined riverbanks.
Flights will start on the Easter weekend of April 4 and operate twice a week.
Travellers from Bristol will be able to fly to Reus, Spain and Thessaloniki, Greece.
Reus is an overlooked Spanish city with modern buildings and golden sand beaches.
Flights will operate twice a week, beginning June 25.
Thessaloniki is a port city packed with historical ruins, markets and a busy nightlife scene.
The airline has also introduced 11 new routes from Newcastle Airport.
easyJet will now fly to destinations such as Nice, Corfu and Rhodes from its Northern base.
Jet2 – La Palma, Samos and Sicily
The airline flies from 13 airports across the UK to over 75 destinations.
And Jet2 are adding three new destinations for 2026: La Palma, Samos and Sicily.
La Palma is one of Spain’s Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa, known for their luscious landscapes and year-round warmth.
It’s a lesser-known island which is visited less frequently than its neighbours Tenerife and Lanzarote.
Passengers can fly to the island from London Stansted or Manchester airport from April 2026, with twice weekly flights taking off on Mondays and Fridays.
Samos on the other hand is a dreamy Greek island, with the new flights from May 2026.
It’s a laid-back spot with quiet villages and unspoilt beaches, and will be Jet2’s 15th new Greek destination airport.
Flights will run from Manchester and London Stansted twice weekly.
The airline will also be flying to Palermo, Sicily from May 2026.
Sicily’s capital is known for its glittering mosaics, street food culture and pretty Arab architecture.
Flights to Palermo will depart from Manchester and Newcastle, as well as Birmingham.
Long-haul
British Airways – St Louis, US
In April 2026, British Airways will begin flying to St. Louis in Missouri.
The new route will become the only direct flight to the city from the UK.
St. Louis is known for its blues, jazz and baseball culture – providing a real slice of Americana for UK travellers visiting the states.
The launch of the route even coincides with the 100th anniversary of Route 66 – the legendary highway which St. Louis sits on.
The flight will run four times a week throughout the airline’s summer season.
Virgin Atlantic – Phuket and Seoul
Virgin Atlantic is expanding their destinations with new routes to Phuket in Thailand and Seoul in South Korea.
Phuket is Thailand’s biggest island, known for its beautiful white sand beaches with turquoise waters.
It’s also popular with young travellers and backpackers, with plenty of beach parties, temples and jungles to explore.
Flights to Phuket will operate three times a week seasonally from London Heathrow – and will begin running from October 2026.
In contrast, Seoul is an ultra-modern city known for its neon nightlife and futuristic skyscrapers.
Plus, fans of shows like KPop Demon Hunters will be pleased.
Seoul is paradise for fans of K-Pop and K-Dramas – home to megastar bands like BTS and Blackpink.
Daily direct flights will launch on March 29, 2026.