The World's Newest Airlines

The COVID-19 pandemic certainly put a strain on the airline industry, with the crisis serving as a death knell for several struggling carriers around the world. However, the demise of some airlines allowed room for the emergence of other new and exciting competitors. Here's a look at some of the newest airlines flying the friendly skies in 2022.

Initially founded as Moxy Airways in the summer of 2018, Breeze Airways commenced operations on May 27, 2021, and currently operates a fleet of more than a dozen aircraft, including its first Airbus A220-300, which was delivered in October 2021. Breeze already serves 18 destinations across the U.S., including five focus cities in Tampa, New Orleans, Charleston, Hartford, Connecticut and Norfolk, Virginia.

The rebirth of Iceland's recently collapsed WOW Air, the European island country's newest low-cost carrier PLAY launched in mid-2021 and has already made its way to the U.S., with flights from Baltimore and Boston beginning this spring. The carrier also added a third U.S. airport in New York Stewart International Airport in New Windsor this winter. PLAY promises to connect travelers with as many as 22 European destinations, including sought-after places like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Dublin, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Paris and Prague, among others.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ultra-low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines launched in April 2021 with bases on each coast, including Hollywood Burbank Airport in California and Tweed New Haven Airport in Connecticut. Avelo currently operates a fleet of six Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft serving as many as 19 U.S. destinations, including six cities in sunny Florida-Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa and West Palm Beach.

A new subsidiary brand to parent company ExpressJet, Aha!-an acronym for "air, hotel and adventure"-commenced operations just months ago in October 2021. The new airline has established a hub at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada and is currently serving 10 other cities on the West Coast, including Palm Springs, California, Eugene, Oregon and Spokane, Washington.

Following the collapse of Alitalia, ITA Airways has emerged as Italy's flag carrier. The state-owned airline was founded eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic and commenced operations this past fall, flying to more than three dozen destinations on a fleet of 55 Airbus aircraft.

Norwegian low-cost carrier Flyr launched last summer. The Oslo-based airline operates a seven-plane fleet of Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft to a slew of destinations throughout Europe, including seven cities in Norway. Upcoming destinations on offer include Croatia, Greece, Sweden and the U.K. Flyr will also add Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca next month.

Lufthansa's Eurowings Discover debuted in July 2021 and currently operates a fleet of Airbus A320-200, A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft taking travelers to destinations around the globe, including Europe, the Caribbean, Africa and the Americas. Eurowings Discover is already present in Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Tampa and will add Fort Myers, Florida and Anchorage in March and June, respectively.

A subsidiary of Hungary-based Wizz Air, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi operated its first flight from Abu Dhabi to Athens in January 2021 and currently serves more than two dozen destinations via a small fleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft, including Egypt, Greek Islands and Israel.

Seoul, South Korea-based Air Premia launched this past summer after receiving its first Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Nonetheless, Air Premia plans to operate as many as 10 aircraft by the end of 2024 and will begin operating long-distance flights from South Korea to Los Angeles beginning this May.

Canada Jetlines is in the midst of the airline licensing process but plans to fly passengers to destinations in the southern United States, Caribbean and Mexico in the near future. The Vancouver-based airline took delivery of its first Airbus A320-200 aircraft earlier this year and plans to operate a fleet of 15 aircraft by 2025.