Take a bite of the Big Apple for £379 return

AFTER three years of travel turmoil, 2023 will see an exciting array of new air routes. Here’s a taste of what’s on offer.

VIRGIN Atlantic has two new destinations to consider for 2023. They’re due to shake up British Airways’ monopoly on direct flights to the Maldives, with a new seasonal service from Heathrow in October. Virgin will also fly to the Turks and Caicos Islands from November, further bolstering its Caribbean network.

There’s been a big rise in transatlantic flying and this trend is set to continue. British Airways is ramping up its Gatwick long-haul schedule, with Vancouver, Las Vegas and Aruba – one of the Dutch Caribbean islands – among the highlights.

Alternative ways to cross the pond from Gatwick in 2023 include Norwegian newcomer Norse Atlantic, which offers stripped-back fares to the Big Apple just £379 return. Delta launches a New York JFK service from Gatwick in April and will fly between Edinburgh and Atlanta from May.

If tropical temples are more your thing, the Far East is hard to beat. Although airspace closures over Russia have made getting there trickier, it’s not deterred one new airline. Vietnam’s Bamboo Airways has just launched non-stop flights from Gatwick to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with promotional fares from about £600 return. Onward connections are available to Australia, Singapore and Japan.

Bristol is the regional airport to watch, with fantastic options: from February, Swiss will fly to Zurich and, a month later, Aegean Airlines starts its service to Athens.

Finally, more than a dozen UK airports will offer direct flights to Turkey next year. Antalya is proving particularly popular, with services launching from Bristol, East Midlands, Exeter, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle and Teesside, operated by various carriers including TUI and SunExpress. Many of these start in late March or April.