New direct flights coming to NYC this summer

New York is perfect — until it’s not. Then it’s time to take off. Here’s a look at some of the latest and greatest newly unveiled nonstop flight routes to and from the city. 

Delta Air Lines (LGA) to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) 

Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-900
Round-trip: From $269 

With its inaugural wheels up on June 14, the first nonstop flight from NYC to ECP will run weekly on Saturdays through Labor Day with daily service from June 28 to July 6. In just under three hours, harried New Yorkers can find R&R at one of Florida’s most budget-friendly oceanfronts. 

Once you land, you’re about 15 minutes away from toes-in-sand, piña colada-in-hand Panama City Beach, known as the “Wreck Diving Capital of the South” for its many accessible shipwrecks. PCB also has one of the world’s highest concentrations of bottlenose dolphins, an epic seafood scene and even waterfront glamping at St. Andrews State Park.

While you’re there, check out the recently redesigned Edward F. Hickey, Jr. Park. The ADA-compliant beach access point is ideal for everyone thanks to accessible parking, beach ramps and more than 100 feet of mobility mats extending to the shoreline.

Arajet (EWR) to Las Américas Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ) 

Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8
Round-trip: From $262

Arajet’s latest launch is to the Dominican Republic. Starting on June 16, Arajet will operate the roughly four-hour flight, four times per week, complete with flexible fare options. While you may think of the DR as a cold-weather destination (hello, plop-and-play vacations to Punta Cana), the start of the off-season in June is actually an ideal time to visit.

In the historic city of Santo Domingo — its Zona Colonial is in fact the oldest European settlement in the Americas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — exploring what’s old is the thing to do, especially with thinner crowds and better deals this time of year.

The Alcázar de Colón — the first fortified European palace in the Americas; now a museum — is a must. Summer 2025 travelers can also watch performers dance in colorful costumes at the Festival De Merengue, a two-week festival in late July and early August.

Spirit Airlines (EWR) to Louisville International Airport (SDF)

Aircraft: Airbus A320
Round-trip: From $196

Land in “Lou-ah-vull” about two hours and 15 minutes after takeoff on this twice-weekly flight from Newark. The route commences May 1 and will remain on sale through mid-August.

Marking the first low-cost carrier to take flight in the New York-to-Louisville market, now is definitely the time to plot your trip to the Bluegrass State. Why? You can trade the green light of Long Island’s fictional East Egg for the real magic of the Great Gatsby Centennial Celebrations (Spring/Summer 2025), when Louisville will honor its ties to the immortal novel.

Festivities run the gamut from speakeasy-style bourbon tastings and Gatsby-inspired garden parties to a ballet adaptation of Fitzgerald’s tome at the Louisville Palace Theatre.

Stay at the Seelbach Hotel, a spot the author himself frequented during his time in Louisville. Also worth setting your sights on: Speed Art Museum’s sculpture garden, opening late 2025. A $22 million, 3-acre revamp that added a new park and sculpture garden is free and open 24/7.  

United Airlines (EWR) to Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport (FNC)

Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8
Round-trip: From $1,000

The “Island of Eternal Spring” is calling. Launching on June 7, this thrice-weekly flight whisks you away in just shy of seven hours to the idyllic Portuguese archipelago, famous for both the subtropical Laurisilva of Madeira forest and its namesake wine. The island’s natural volcanic pools on the northern coast (Porto Moniz and Seixal) are also not to be missed.

During your stay, sop up all that wine with traditional sustenance like bolo do caco (a savory flatbread often served with octopus), fried corn and grilled limpets, a mollusk delicacy in these parts similar to clams.

Running from June 6 to 29 this year, scope out as many Atlantic Festival events as you can, a fireworks fête that also welcomes circus performances, art shows and more. P.S. add the soon-to-open Museum of Romanticism to your itinerary. Located at Quinta dos Jardins do Imperador in Monte (the former house of the Emperor of Austria), the museum will cover the island’s 19th-century history and share the stories of Madeira’s most notable visitors. 

United Airlines (EWR) to Nuuk International Airport (GOH)

Aircraft: Boeing 737 Max 8 
Round-trip: From $1,087

United’s twice-weekly nonstop service to Greenland clocks in at four hours and 15 minutes, and is the first US flight to travel directly between the two countries.

Operating from June 14 through Sept. 23, you’ll want to book this flight with HX Expeditions, a cruise company that is debuting new all-inclusive packages from Newark in summer 2025.

Currently, you can choose from four set itineraries on offer: Icy Giants of Disko Bay; Mythical Lands of the North; Farthest North to Thule and Kane Basin; and Northwest Passage — Through the Arctic Labyrinth.

The latter of the quartet concludes in Nome, Alaska, and is 26 days long, so if you can’t swing that time away, opt for the first two schedules, 12- and 16-day expeditions, respectively. We’re especially intrigued by Mythical Lands of the North, departing on either July 1 or July 16, where you’ll weave your way through northwest Greenland, visiting highlights such as the US’s Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule) and the High Arctic, where you may very well spy polar bears and walruses.