United Adds 10 International Cities for 2027; Largest Expansion in Airline's History

New nonstop flights to Okinawa, Japan; Toulouse, France; Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Marseille, France; Ibiza, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Terceira, Portugal; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Olbia (Sardinia), Italy; and Catania (Sicily), Italy

Airline debuts newest international aircraft – the 'Born to Explore' A321XLR – which will fly to some of these new cities and features lie-flat seats in United Polaris and Economy Plus seats with extra elbow room across an open middle seat

United builds on its lead as the largest carrier across the Atlantic and Pacific with new flights from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan; Washington, D.C. to Milan, Italy; and Denver to Paris, France; while planning to resume flights from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, Israel

United has added nearly 60 new international destinations to its route map in the past decade, cementing its position as the world's leading global airline

NEWARK, N.J., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- United today announced the largest international network expansion in company history with 10 new international cities and three new routes across Europe and Asia, and debuted the newest international aircraft in its fleet, the 'Born to Explore' A321XLR, at an event at Newark Liberty International Airport. The announcement builds on nearly a decade of international growth, with United adding 58 international destinations to its route map since 2017. As the world's largest airline,** United now flies to more than 160 international destinations.

Starting as early as March 2027, the airline will fly to 10 new international cities – including eight no other U.S. airline serves – across Europe and Asia:

Tickets are available for sale today on united.com and in the United app.

United made this news today at an event at Newark Liberty International Airport attended by CEO Scott Kirby, Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella and Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances Patrick Quayle.

"The creative and strategic way we've expanded our international network since the pandemic has made all the difference, not only for our customers and employees, but also as a way to differentiate United and build a brand focused on customers," said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines. "We offer the most flights across the Atlantic and Pacific and Newark is the best Atlantic gateway in the country - so far this year, it's the most on-time airport in the New York City area. We're going to keep building on that momentum as we welcome the new A321XLR to our fleet and continue to elevate the travel experience for every customer who chooses United."

Beyond the 10 new cities, United is adding new flights from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan; Washington, D.C. to Milan, Italy; Denver to Paris; and will restart service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, Israel. The airline will serve more destinations in Japan, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France than any other U.S. carrier.

"We aim to have a destination on our route map for every traveler, at every stage of their lives. Whether it's a business trip, a dream honeymoon, a bucket-list adventure, or a trip home to see family, we're making the world feel smaller and connecting cultures at a scale no other airline in the world can match," said Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances, United. "We've added flights to nearly 60 new international cities in the last decade, building a global network with the breadth and reach to set travel trends and inspire even the most discerning travelers to discover somewhere new. When someone visits our website or app to start planning a trip, they'll be amazed by where United can take them."

United's Largest International Expansion Yet

United offers the most flights and seats from the U.S. across the Atlantic and Pacific of any airline. United's 10 new destinations give travelers more ways to experience the world – from scenic island escapes in Okinawa and Terceira in Portugal's Azores to Mediterranean getaways in Ibiza and Sardinia, the history and architecture of Luxembourg City and world-renowned cuisine in Sicily.

New Routes Expanding United's Global Reach

United is also adding new international routes to destinations it already serves from three of its U.S. hubs spanning coast to coast.

From Los Angeles, United will add new daily service to Osaka, Japan, becoming the only airline to serve Osaka from two continental U.S. cities. The route will complement the airline's existing service from San Francisco and Guam. The new route is scheduled to begin March 27.

From Washington, D.C., United will add new three times weekly nonstop service to Milan on May 28, becoming the only airline to connect the nation's capital to Milan nonstop. United will also serve more destinations in Italy nonstop from the U.S. than any other airline.

From Denver, United will add new daily nonstop service to Paris beginning on May 27. The new route will complement existing service from Newark/New York, Washington Dulles, Chicago and San Francisco.

United is also restarting service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv on March 28. The three times weekly service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv will offer the most business class seats between the two cities of any airline. 

In addition, United will be bringing back the new destinations it added in summer 2026 for summer 2027 with flights from Newark/New York to Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; Glasgow, Scotland; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

The 'Born to Explore' A321XLR

United's 'Born to Explore' Airbus A321XLR will support United's international growth in summer 2027 with service to new destinations in Ibiza, Luxembourg, Marseille, Toulouse and Valencia.

When customers step onboard United's Airbus A321XLR, they can expect to find a single-aisle aircraft designed to elevate international travel for everyone onboard with features like a new United Polaris suite with a privacy door, free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus^® members, 4K OLED screens with Bluetooth connectivity, a snack bar in United Economy^® and the new Economy Plus^® seats with extra elbow room and access to a shared table across an open middle seat – United expects to be the only major U.S. airline that will offer this seating option.

The aircraft also offers 32 premium seats, including 20 United Polaris^® suites and 12 United Premium Plus^® seats – 16 more premium seats than the Boeing 757-200.

The A321XLR is scheduled to start flying select domestic routes in September and will transition to international service on December 1, starting with flights from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. to Amsterdam and Dublin. Tickets for the first international flights will go on sale on Thursday, August 27.

All new routes are subject to government approval.

**As measured by available seat miles

About United

At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers, and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".

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SOURCE United Airlines