Air Canada, the flag-carrier airline of Canada, is launching daily, non-stop flights between Montreal in Canada and Houston in the United States on November 30, 2009.

  The United States-based Continental Airlines will launch daily, non-stop flights from its hub at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, the United States, to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, starting August 1, 2009.

Alaska Airlines plans to start daily nonstop Seattle-Houston flights from Sept 23, 2009.

  Qatar Airways, the flag-carrier airline of Qatar, has said it plans to launch new routes, extend existing services and add 11 aircraft to its fleet in 2009. The Doha-based carrier’s announcement comes even as airlines worldwide are struggling to survive amid economic recession.