United Airlines announces international expansion to 10 cities

Aug. 26 (UPI) — United Airlines announced Wednesday that it is planning the largest international expansion in company history, with flights to 10 new cities added in 2027.

“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, United chief executive officer.

Starting in March, United will fly to 10 new international cities: Okinawa, Japan; Toulouse and Marseille, France; Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Ibiza and Valencia, Spain; Terceira, Portugal; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Olbia in Sardinia, Italy; and Catania in Sicily, Italy.

In the case of eight of these cities, United is the only U.S. airline to fly there, the company said in a press release. The flights leave from San Francisco International Airport, Washington Dulles Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

The airline is also adding three new routes across Europe and Asia and debuting a new international aircraft in its fleet, the Born to Explore Airbus A321XLR. The new aircraft will be flying to some of the new destinations.

The announcement came Wednesday at an event at Newark Liberty International Airport. United also announced other new international flights, including flights from Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Denver. It will restart service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, Israel, as well.

“We aim to have a destination on our route map for every traveler, at every stage of their lives,” said Patrick Quayle, senior vice president of global network planning and alliances for United.