United adds 10 international cities for 2027; largest expansion in airline's history

United 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.

Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances, United commented: "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. 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."

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:

• San Francisco (SFO) to: Okinawa, Japan*

• Washington Dulles (IAD) to: Toulouse, FranceX*

• Newark (EWR) to: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

                                        Marseille, FranceX*

                                        Ibiza, Spain X*

                                        Valencia, Spain X*

                                        Terceira, Portugal*

                                        Ljubljana, Slovenia*

                                        Olbia (Sardinia), Italy

‌                                        Catania (Sicily), Italy

X Flown on the new A321XLR

* United is the only U.S. airline to fly nonstop from the U.S. to this city.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.

 

Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances, United commented: "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. 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.