United Airlines Announces Largest Global Expansion Ever

DALLAS — United Airlines (UA) announced today its most extensive international expansion to date, serving eight new cities next year.

Starting in May 2025, UA will launch five new nonstop flights from its hub in Newark/New York to destinations “no other U.S. airline serves,” including Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; Madeira Island, Portugal, and Faro, Portugal. 

The airline also adds three new nonstop routes from Washington D.C./Dulles, including its first-ever flight to Dakar, Senegal, operating year-round and new seasonal nonstop flights to Nice, France, and Venice, Italy.

Already the U.S. carrier with the most flights across the Atlantic, UA's summer 2025 transatlantic schedule will be the largest in its history, with more than 760 weekly flights. In addition to new flights, routes to Venice, Italy, Athens, Greece, and Barcelona, Spain will have earlier start dates next summer. 

The airline will also increase the number of weekly direct flights between Newark/New York and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Newark/New York and Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Newark/New York and Athens, Greece.

United is also adding new direct flights from Tokyo-Narita to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Kaohsiung – destinations no other U.S. airline serves – and a new nonstop flight to Koror, Palau. These new flights will connect Tokyo to UA's transpacific services to five hub locations in the continental UA States.

All new flights are subject to government approval and will be available for sale on UA.com and the UA app. 

Flight Schedules

1. ‍Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: UA will be the only U.S. airline to serve Mongolia, with seasonal nonstop service from Tokyo/Narita launching on May 1. ‍
2. Kaohsiung, Taiwan: Starting July 11, UA will be the only U.S. airline to offer direct service to Kaohsiung, Taiwan.‍
3. Dakar, Senegal: With UA's year-round, three-times-weekly nonstop Washington/Dulles-Senegal service, launching May 23, UA will fly to more African destinations than any other U.S. carrier. ‍
4. Nuuk, Greenland: Starting June 14, travelers will have a twice-weekly seasonal service to Greenland’s capital city, Nuuk, from Newark/New York. UA will be the only carrier to connect the U.S. directly to Nuuk, the northernmost capital in the world.‍
5. Palermo, Italy: UA will launch its three-times-weekly seasonal nonstop service between Newark/New York and Palermo on May 21, serving five destinations in Italy. The flight will operate on a Boeing 767-400, making UA the only airline with lie-flat Business Class seats between the U.S. and Palermo.‍
6. Bilbao, Spain: UA is expanding its network in Spain and will be the only U.S. airline with nonstop service to Bilbao, with service from Newark/New York launching on May 31. UA serves six destinations in Spain—the most of any U.S. carrier—and is the only carrier to directly connect Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, Malaga, and Bilbao to the U.S.‍
7. Madeira Island and Faro, Portugal: Next summer, UA will serve five destinations in Portugal – the most of any U.S. carrier – and is the only U.S. airline serving Porto, Ponta Delgada, Madeira Island, and Faro. The new service to Faro will have four times weekly flights starting May 16, and Maderia Island will have three times weekly flights beginning June 7.

Expanded Global Service

In addition to the new destinations coming to UA's global network, the airline will expand service to some of its most popular international destinations.

United will add a year-round, nonstop flight between Tokyo/Narita-Koror and Palau. UA is the only U.S. airline to serve Palau, with its existing service from Guam and Manila.

Starting May 22, UA will begin seasonal daily nonstop flights to Venice, Italy, from Washington/Dulles, complementing its existing service from Newark/New York. The airline will also begin seasonal, four-times-weekly Washington/Dulles-Nice, France flights on May 24, in addition to its existing daily seasonal service from Newark/New York.

United will resume service to several destinations earlier in the season to give customers more time to explore next summer. From Newark/New York, UA will resume service to Athens, Greece, on March 6; Venice, Italy, on March 29; and Dubrovnik, Croatia, which will also increase to daily service on May 1. 

Additionally, on May 1, UA will resume service between San Francisco-Barcelona and Chicago O'Hare-Athens, operating a larger Boeing 787-10 aircraft. The airline will also increase its flights between Newark/New York and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, by four weekly flights.

UA's historic expansion across the Atlantic and Pacific is complemented by its growing network in Mexico and Central America. Starting April 5, UA will be the first and only airline to connect the UA States to Puerto Escondido, Mexico, with a nonstop, once-weekly, year-round flight from Houston operated by UA Express partner Mesa Airlines on Embraer 175 aircraft. 

With this new flight, UA will serve 23 destinations in Mexico and 65 destinations in the broader Latin and Caribbean region following the recent addition of Dominica service from Newark/New York, launching on February 15, 2025.

Starting May 22, UA will also add a new daily flight between San Francisco and San Jose, Costa Rica, utilizing Boeing 737-MAX8 aircraft. UA will now connect San Jose with all seven of its U.S. hubs, further strengthening its position as the largest U.S. carrier to Costa Rica and Central America.