European airports at heart of United’s biggest expansion to date
United Airlines has unveiled the largest international network expansion in its history, adding ten new destinations and three additional routes across Europe and Asia in 2027, while also restoring its San Francisco – Tel Aviv service.
The expansion will be supported by the carrier’s new Airbus A321XLR. The airline has added 58 international destinations to its network since 2017 and now serves more than 160 destinations outside the US. United describes itself as the world’s largest airline, measured by available seat miles, and operates more flights and seats from the US across both the Atlantic and Pacific than any other carrier.
Eight airports get first US carrier
Of the ten new destinations, eight will be served by no other US airline: Okinawa, Toulouse, Luxembourg, Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Terceira and Ljubljana.
In several cases, the flights will also restore or introduce the destination’s only nonstop link with the United States. Ibiza will receive its first-ever scheduled nonstop US service, while Luxembourg will regain a direct US link for the first time since 1999. Valencia will be reconnected with the United States after Delta discontinued its New York service in 2012, while Ljubljana will regain nonstop US flights after 36 years.
Okinawa and Toulouse currently have no nonstop US flights either. Terceira is a notable exception to the wider exclusivity: Azores Airlines already links the island with Boston, meaning United will be the only US airline serving Terceira rather than the only airline flying between the island and the United States.
The expansion begins on 27 March with three weekly flights between San Francisco and Okinawa using a Boeing 777-200ER. This will be followed on 2 April by daily New York EWR – Luxembourg flights with the A321XLR. Washington IAD – Toulouse follows on 26 April with a daily A321XLR service..
New York EWR will account for eight of the ten new destinations. Four weekly flights to Ljubljana will begin on 12 May with the 231-seat Boeing 767-400ER. Three weekly services to Olbia in Sardinia will follow on 27 May with the Boeing 767-300ER, while Catania in Sicily will be added the following day with 4-weekly flights using the same aircraft type
United will then launch 4-weekly New York EWR – Ibiza flights on May 31, 3- weekly New York EWR – Valencia services on 2 June and daily New York EWR – Marseille operations on 4 June, all with the A321XLR. Three weekly Newark – Terceira flights will commence on 9 June 9 using the Boeing 737 MAX 8
Beyond the ten new destinations, United will introduce three additional international routes to cities already on its network. Daily Los Angeles – Osaka flights will begin on 27 March, complementing the carrier’s existing Osaka services from San Francisco and Guam.
Washington IAD will gain 3- weekly flights to Milan MXP from 28 May. Denver – Paris CDG will be added on 27 May with a daily service, complementing United’s existing Paris flights from New York EWR, Washington IAD, Chicago ORD and San Francisco.
United will also restore three weekly San Francisco – Tel Aviv flights from 28 March. The airline says it will offer more business class seats between the two cities than any other carrier.
