United Airlines announced on October 9 that it will launch nonstop flights to four new European cities in summer 2026, positioning itself as the only US airline serving Split in Croatia, Bari in Italy, Glasgow in Scotland and Santiago de Compostela in Spain from its Newark hub.

The carrier also announced its first nonstop service between Newark and Seoul in South Korea beginning September 4, 2026, a third weekly flight to Tel Aviv from Newark starting March 28, and new daily year-round service between Washington-Dulles and Reykjavik in Iceland from May 21. Tickets for all routes are on sale now.

Patrick Quayle, senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, says: "United has an unmatched international network, and we pride ourselves on connecting our customers to unique, trendsetting destinations no other US airline serves. With the addition of these new flights and the return of all of our new routes from last year, United now flies to 46 cities across the Atlantic - more than any other airline - and is the clear flag carrier of the US."
United will offer nearly 3,000 weekly international roundtrips in summer 2026, with more than 850 daily flights to over 150 international destinations including 41 that no other US carrier serves. The announcement follows the airline's summer 2025 expansion, which it described as the largest in its history. All nine destinations from that expansion will return in 2026, including Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia from April 30, Faro and Madeira Island in Portugal from mid-May, Palermo in Italy from May 22, Bilbao in Spain from May 30 and Nuuk in Greenland from June 6. Year-round service continues to Dakar in Senegal, Puerto Escondido in Mexico and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

Split service begins April 30 with three weekly flights. The Croatian coastal city offers access to the ancient Roman Diocletian's Palace, the Cathedral of Saint Dominus and the Dalmatian Islands including Hvar. United currently operates the only direct US flights to Croatia with seasonal Newark service to Dubrovnik.

Bari service launches May 1 with four weekly flights, providing gateway access to Italy's Puglia region. The Adriatic port city connects by boat to Albania, Croatia and Greece. United will operate up to 15 daily flights across six Italian destinations next summer.

Glasgow becomes accessible via daily seasonal service from May 8. Condé Nast Traveller voted Glasgow the UK's friendliest city in 2025. The Scottish city holds UNESCO City of Music status since 2008 and houses the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, one of the UK's most visited. United also serves Edinburgh year-round.

Santiago de Compostela receives three weekly flights beginning May 22, marking the first regularly scheduled US service to the Galician capital. The northwestern Spanish city serves as the endpoint of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. United now serves six Spanish destinations with exclusive US routes to Bilbao, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.

The Washington-Dulles to Reykjavik route operates daily from May 21, making United the only airline offering lie-flat business class seats between the two capital cities. The service adds to existing flights from Chicago O'Hare and Newark. Since 2019, United has added nine transatlantic destinations from Washington-Dulles.

Newark to Seoul daily service makes United the only US carrier with nonstop flights between New York and South Korea. The route complements existing twice-daily San Francisco to Seoul service, providing options from both US coasts.

The third Tel Aviv flight from Newark operates four times weekly starting March 28, adding to double daily Newark service, four weekly Chicago O'Hare flights and three weekly Washington Dulles service. United will be the only airline operating between Tel Aviv and both Chicago and Washington DC when those routes begin in early November.

As of August 2025, United carried nearly 1.5 million passengers to Italy, Spain and Portugal, 11% more than the previous year. The inaugural Nuuk flight was the fastest-selling inaugural in United Airlines history.

All new flights are subject to government approval. The expansion reinforces United's position as the largest transatlantic carrier, though the airline faces increasing competition from European carriers adding US routes and low-cost long-haul operators entering the market. The focus on exclusive routes to secondary European cities represents a strategy to capture underserved demand where United can operate without direct US competition.