United Airlines has unveiled what will be the largest international expansion in its history by 2027, with the addition of 10 new cities to its network in Europe and Asia, including Ibiza and Valencia, as well as three additional international routes from the United States. Part of these connections will be operated with its new Airbus A321XLR "Born to Explore".
The company will start linking these cities from March 2027, and in eight of the cases there is currently no direct service from any other U.S. airline. The new destinations will be Okinawa (Japan), Toulouse (France), Luxembourg, Marseille (France), Ibiza (Spain), Valencia (Spain), Terceira (Portugal), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Olbia (Sardinia, Italy) and Catania (Sicily, Italy).
United has emphasized that eight of these places currently lack direct flights with U.S. airlines. In detail, the company will connect San Francisco with Okinawa; Washington Dulles with Toulouse; and Newark with Luxembourg, Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Terceira, Ljubljana, Olbia and Catania.
These links are added to nearly ten years of international growth for United, a period in which it has added 58 foreign destinations since 2017 and in which it already operates to more than 160 points outside the United States.
The CEO of United Airlines, Scott Kirby, has stressed that the international expansion strategy since the pandemic has allowed "to differentiate the airline and strengthen its commitment to a customer-centered experience".
"We offer more flights across the Atlantic and the Pacific and Newark is the best gateway to the Atlantic in the country," Kirby added, who indicated that the company will continue to drive this growth with the addition of the new A321XLR to its fleet.
Tickets for these new connections can already be purchased on the United website and app.
New routes from the United States
Along with the 10 new cities, United will also add new routes from three of its hubs in the United States.
From Los Angeles, the airline will launch a daily flight to Osaka (Japan) starting March 27, 2027. With this, United will become the only airline that connects Osaka with two cities in the continental United States, complementing the existing service from San Francisco and Guam.
From Washington D.C., United will inaugurate on May 28 a direct connection three times a week with Milan (Italy), becoming the only airline that links the capital of the United States with the Italian city non-stop.
Likewise, from Denver a daily direct flight to Paris (France) will be launched starting May 27, which will be added to the routes already operated from Newark/New York, Washington Dulles, Chicago, and San Francisco.
United also plans to reactivate the link between San Francisco and Tel Aviv (Israel) on March 28, with three weekly frequencies. According to the company, this route will offer more business class seats between both cities than any competitor.
In addition, during the summer of 2027, United will resume the destinations that are added in the summer of 2026, with flights from Newark/New York to Split (Croatia), Bari (Italy), Glasgow (Scotland), and Santiago de Compostela (Spain).
With this offensive, the airline claims it will have more destinations in Japan, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France than any other U.S. company.
Ibiza and Valencia among the new destinations
The new routes will facilitate travelers' access to enclaves such as Okinawa and Terceira, in the Portuguese Azores, as well as Mediterranean points like Ibiza, Valencia, Olbia (Sardinia), and Catania (Sicily), in addition to Luxembourg.
The senior vice president of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United, Patrick Quayle, has explained that the airline's intention is to offer options for all types of travelers, from business customers and honeymoon couples to families and leisure tourism.
"We have added flights to nearly 60 new international cities over the last decade, creating a global network with the breadth and reach necessary to set travel trends and inspire even the most discerning travelers to discover new places," he noted.
The Airbus A321XLR
United has also presented its new Airbus A321XLR "Born to Explore," which will support the company's international expansion during the summer of 2027 with the new operations.
It is a single-aisle aircraft designed for long-haul routes, which will incorporate a new United Polaris suite with a privacy door, free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus partners, 4K OLED screens with Bluetooth connectivity, and a snack area in United Economy.
The aircraft will also offer the new Economy Plus seats, with more elbow room and access to a shared table thanks to the free middle seat. United expects to be the only major U.S. airline to have this configuration.
The A321XLR will feature 32 premium seats, of which 20 will be United Polaris suites and 12 United Premium Plus seats, which means 16 additional premium seats compared to the Boeing 757-200.
The new model is expected to start operating on certain domestic routes in September and to move to international service on December 1, initially with flights from Washington D.C.'s Dulles International Airport to Amsterdam and Dublin.
Tickets for these first international flights will go on sale on August 27, and all new routes will be subject to the approval of the relevant government authorities.