The New Aircraft, Routes, and Airplane Cabins Taking Off in 2023 

The past 12 months have been an unpredictable time for airlines, with multiple global issues impacting the aviation industry, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulting in overflight bans, the removal of most travel restrictions, China ending inbound quarantine, Boeing’s 737 MAX delivery catch-ups, and more questions about the future of two new versions of the 737 MAX. The year ahead looks more promising, though uncertainty is still massive. Wars, global and regional recessions, Covid resurgence, changed travel patterns, the climate crisis, and many other factors are outside aviation’s control. 

Here’s what all this means for travelers in 2023. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Russian airlines were banned from many countries’ airspace, including the EU, the US, Canada, and vice versa. Outside of the conflict zone, the most significant effect of this has been on flights between Europe and east Asia, which must either fly south of the conflict zone and over the Caucasus or north over Alaska. As a result, many European and Asian airlines cut their services. New routes between North America and Europe are already taking flight, with the big three transatlantic joint venture airline cartels – corresponding roughly to the Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam alliances, and which have been allowed to coordinate pricing between their members – adding many new routes and beefing up existing services. If you see a new nonstop flight open, it could be worth jumping on the opportunity. If European airlines regain access to Russian airspace and demand to and from China returns, the new nonstops might return to requiring a layover. 

The COMAC C919, China’s first modern narrowbody airliner, is expected to enter passenger service as 2022 ticks over into 2023. The new plane, seen as a significant challenge for Western manufacturers, will give passengers in China a new option. However, it’s not much different from the experience on a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320. There will be more deliveries of the current generation of planes, including the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, which means more newer jets to fly on and some older planes being kept in the fleet longer. Additionally, the extra-long-range A321XLR narrowbody is planned to arrive with airlines in early 2024. However, the good news for Airbus is that the US Federal Aviation Administration approved on December 8 the design of its extra fuel tank. This means those new nonstop flights between smaller airports, notably transatlantic routes, will be announced in 2023 – it’s worth keeping an eye out and booking fast. 

As new planes arrive from the factory, they bring new cabins, like Airbus’ more spacious Airspace cabin with its bigger bins and streamlined aesthetic. In addition, the vast (and hugely popular) Airbus A380 superjumbo is coming back into service. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is the latest airline to bring its A380s back, which means wider seats in economy on this big, quiet plane. It’s great news for passengers. “The rising number of Airspace cabin equipped aircraft entering the market means more and more passengers will benefit from comfort features as well as connectivity,” Airbus’ vice president of cabin marketing, Ingo Wuggetzer, tells CNN. “This is key for me in 2023 – it is about bringing these innovations to a growing number of passengers worldwide.”