New winter flights connect France with Southampton, Cairo and Agadir

Four new direct routes from French airports were scheduled to begin on Sunday 25 October 2026, the opening day of the winter flying season. They connect Paris Charles de Gaulle with Southampton, Bordeaux with Cairo and Agadir, and Brest with Seville. For travellers, the significance lies not simply in the additional destinations but in the possibility of flying without a connection, subject to the operating days of each route.

The difference in frequency matters. easyJet has scheduled two weekly Paris–Southampton flights, while Transavia France‘s Bordeaux–Cairo service is listed for Sundays only. Further new routes are planned during the following week from Nantes, Nice, Rennes and other French airports. The winter 2026–27 timetable runs until 27 March 2027, but some services marketed for the season had already begun in September.

Four routes opening the winter timetable

easyJet plans to fly Paris-CDG–Southampton twice weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays, with the first scheduled flight on 25 October. It is a notable alternative for journeys between the French capital and the south of England, where ground transport from a London airport can add another stage. Whether it suits an individual itinerary depends on the limited frequency, the onward journey and the total fare.

The same Sunday brings a different kind of connectivity to south-west France. From Bordeaux, Transavia plans one return flight a week to Cairo, on Sundays, starting 25 October. The airline previously advertised introductory one-way prices from €59, which should not be mistaken for a currently available fare. easyJet’s Bordeaux–Agadir service is due to start that day as well, operating on Wednesdays and Sundays. Bordeaux Airport confirms two further easyJet routes: Malaga from Monday 26 October, with Monday and Friday flights, and Gran Canaria from Wednesday 28 October, with Wednesday and Saturday flights.

In Brittany, Transavia’s Brest–Seville link is scheduled to open on Sunday 25 October, with Thursday and Sunday departures. A separate service from Rennes to Seville follows on Monday 26 October, on Mondays and Fridays. These are distinct airport pairs with separate schedules, despite the shared Andalusian destination.

Why Nantes is gaining four very different destinations

The next few days reshape the map from Nantes in particular. easyJet schedules a direct connection to Brussels Airport from Monday 26 October, operating on Mondays and Fridays, and another to Essaouira from Tuesday 27 October, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The airline markets both as exclusive routes from Nantes. They serve different travel purposes: one links the western French city to the Belgian capital, while the other offers direct access to Morocco’s Atlantic coast.

Transavia then plans two weekly long-distance departures: Nantes–Cairo on Wednesday 28 October and Nantes–São Vicente, Cape Verde, on Friday 30 October. Both have just one departure each week. A non-stop service can remove a connection, but weekly frequency may constrain the length of a holiday as much as it improves access to the destination.

From Nice, easyJet is planning two weekly flights to Lyon from Monday 26 October, on Mondays and Fridays, and Nice–Cairo from Tuesday 27 October, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Egyptian flight is to Sphinx International Airport. That matters when booking a transfer: airports marketed under the name Cairo do not necessarily place passengers in the same part of the metropolitan area.

The Cairo distinction also applies to dates. easyJet had advertised its Paris-CDG–Cairo/Sphinx route with a start on 2 September 2026. It belongs to the autumn and winter network, but is not a new departure opening on 25 October. Labelling every winter flight a new October service would misrepresent the timetable.

Why the flight day and arrival airport matter

The expansion sits alongside existing links retained for winter. Transavia is continuing services including Paris-Orly–Pisa, Paris-Orly–Heraklion, Paris-Orly–Edinburgh, Marseille–Oran and Lyon–Fez. A seasonal extension is useful, particularly for passengers travelling outside summer, but it is not the launch of a previously unavailable route.

There is also a difference between a route announcement and a service that has operated. The dates above are the airlines’ planned launch dates, not independent confirmation that each inaugural flight has departed. Frequencies and fares can subsequently change.

Passengers considering the Cairo services should note that Nice flights use Sphinx International Airport, while the Bordeaux flight operates only once a week. Those differences will shape both onward transfers and the length of a trip.

Sources: Transavia France, winter 2026–27 programme; easyJet, new routes from France; Bordeaux Airport, easyJet winter routes; Bordeaux Airport, winter schedule.