United Airlines continues to impress with the breadth of its international route network. Last year we saw the Chicago based carrier announce a variety of unique routes for Summer 2025 that included destinations like Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Nuuk, Greenland.
This year, United is not only returning all of its announced international routes from Summer 2025, it is adding four new destinations in Europe and adding flights to Seoul, South Korea and Reykjavik, Iceland.
United Adds Flights to Bari, Glasgow, Split, and Santiago de Compostela
Next year, United will add four new international destinations to its route map, all of which will be served from its transatlantic gateway at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The following destinations will join the United network:
- Bari International Airport-Karol Wojtyla (BRI)
- Glasgow Airport (GLA)
- Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ)
- Split Airport (SPU)
Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances, said this about the new routes:
“United has an unmatched international network, and we pride ourselves on connecting our customers to unique, trendsetting destinations no other U.S. 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 U.S.”
United’s Newark (EWR) to Bari (BRI) Service
Beginning May 1, 2026, United will launch 4x weekly service between Newark and Bari using Boeing 767-300 aircraft. These aircraft feature United’s Polaris Business Class, Premium Economy, Economy Plus, and Economy seats.
Flights will operate eastbound on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and westbound on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays on the following schedule:
| Flight | Departs | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| UA380 (EWR-BRI) | 4:45p | 7:45a (+1) |
| UA381 (BRI-EWR) | 9:45a | 2:00p |
United’s Newark (EWR) to Glasgow (GLA) Service
United will become the only airline with service between the United States and Glasgow when it launches service on May 8, 2026. The carrier will operate daily flights to the Scottish city using Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft. While schedules for that flight have yet to be released, at 3,228 miles, it will be quite the trip on a narrowbody jet with recliner seats in Business Class.
United’s Newark (EWR) to Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) Service
Like Glasgow, United will deploy its 737-8 MAX aircraft on the route between Newark and Santiago de Compostela. If you’re not familiar with the destination, it is the capital of the Galicia region of Spain, located near the country’s northwest coast. It is well known for its stunning cathedrals, Medieval architecture and is the endpoint of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.
United will operate the route 3x weekly beginning on May 22, 2026. The flight will operate eastbound on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and westbound on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The flights will operate on the following schedule:
| Flight | Departs | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| UA222 (EWR-SCQ) | 7:15p | 8:15a (+1) |
| UA223 (SCQ-EWR) | 10:00a | 11:50a |
United’s Newark (EWR) to Split (SPU) Service
Beginning April 30, 2026, United will launch 3x weekly service between Newark and Split, Croatia using Boeing 767-300 aircraft. These aircraft feature United’s Polaris Business Class, Premium Economy, Economy Plus, and Economy seats. Flights for this route have not yet gone on sale.
United Adds Two New Routes to Existing Destinations
In addition to the four new destinations it will serve from Newark, United is adding two new routes to existing destinations for Summer 2026. Beginning May 21, 2026, United will launch daily summer seasonal service between Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Reykjavik, Iceland. The airline will use Boeing 757-200 aircraft on the route. This will compliment existing service to Iceland from Newark and Chicago O’Hare (ORD).
In addition to the summer additions mentioned above, United will launch daily, year-round service between Newark and Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This will compliment United’s existing 2x daily service to Seoul from San Francisco (SFO).
My Thoughts
United has long been the strongest carrier internationally among the Big Three U.S. carriers. While the carrier’s domestic network is lacking in certain areas, they use way more 50 seat regional jets than American and Delta, it has a seriously impressive list of international destinations spanning from Hong Kong to Cape Town.
Patrick Quayle called United “the clear flag carrier of the United States” when announcing these new routes and, based on what I’ve seen the past few years, they are certainly the most willing to think outside of the box when it comes to route announcements.
The most impressive thing to me is the fact that all of the aspirational international routes from Summer 2025 are returning for 2026. It appears the network planning department at United is firing on all cylinders and I can’t wait to see what other routes they come up with next.
Summary
United Airlines is launching service to four new destinations in Europe for Summer 2026. These new additions come along with expanded service to Reykjavik and Seoul and the announcement that all of the carrier’s Summer 2025 seasonal routes will return for 2026.
United has quickly become the premier international carrier for the United States across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
