United Airlines Announces the Start of 17 New International Flight Routes

Some routes are to destinations still not packed with tourists.

May 23, 2025 - 04:20

Late last year, United Airlines announced its biggest international push in decades, charging into 2025 with the most aggressive expansion in its history. It shared plans to revamp both its physical assets and fleet, as well as its global network to cement its position one of, if not the, biggest international airline based in the US. According to news sources, the airline’s strategy is twofold: refresh its aircraft lineup under what it calls the “United Next” initiative, and roll out a wave of new international routes — many of which are to cities other US carriers aren’t serving. While some new routes were new, a handful are complete surprises.

Now, those new routes are starting to roll out to passengers, with most starting in July 2025.

A fleet built for the future

united expansion 2025 - boeing dreamliner

United is buying dozens of new planes, including many large Boeing Dreamliners. Photo: Felix Tchvertkin/Shutterstock

One of the major parts of United’s new growth strategy is a massive upgrade to its planes. In 2025 alone, the airline expects to bring 135 new aircraft into service, ranging from Boeing Dreamliners to narrow four-seat-across jets for shorter hauls. These newer jets will gradually replace older planes like the 737-700s and the A319s, with the new planes having both better fuel efficiency and nicer interiors.

For longer international hauls, the airline plans to roll out more than two dozen Boeing 787 Dreamliners in 2025, accelerating the phase-out of aging 767s and 777s. The much-delayed Airbus A350s also remain in the pipeline, though deliveries aren’t expected to begin before 2030. All the new planes will have modern upgrades like Bluetooth-enabled seatback screens (which some United planes already have), power outlets at every seat, and high-speed Wi-Fi via Starlink. (However, ongoing delays at Boeing make it unclear whether United will actually receive all of its scheduled deliveries on time.)

United adds more international routes

Remote Regina, Canada, is now accessible via United Airlines. Photo: Creative bee Maja/Shutterstock

United also rolled out 17 new routes, with 800 daily international departures to 147 destinations across the planet — more than any other airline based in North America. Many of the new routes will be served by some of the smaller planes United plans to buy. “There is an extensive list of potentially successful routes that don’t have quite as much depth in demand,” said Patrick Quayle, the airline’s SVP of global network planning, on LinkedIn. Smaller planes allow United to offer new routes that may not have enough demand to fill larger planes. He gave the example of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, which is now reachable on United via Tokyo.

Here are some of the most exciting new routes, most of which are connected through United’s biggest hubs: Newark, San Francisco, Houston, and Washington, DC.

Europe: United is adding new flights to Faro and Madeira in Portugal; Palermo in Sicily; Bilbao in Spain; and expanding service to Nice and Venice. The additions will bring the airline’s totals to five destinations each in Portugal and Italy, and six in Spain. The Madeira flights will leave from Newark, New Jersey, running three times a week between early June and late September.

Asia-Pacific: New flights to Bangkok, Thailand; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (both via Hong Kong) will make United the only US carrier serving both cities. It also announced the first-ever non-stop route to Adelaide, Australia, and added extra flights around Manila in the Philippines, Taipei in Taiwan, and Guam, among other destinations.

Africa: United will become the biggest US airline in terms of flights to Africa, introducing a new year-round flight from Washington, DC, to Dakar, Senegal. It already flies to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Accra, Lagos, and Marrakesh.

Warm-weather destinations: United also introduced new nonstop flights from the US to Puerto Escondido, Mexico, and more flights between San Francisco and San Jose, Costa Rica.

Offbeat spots: As Quayle said on LinkedIn, it’s not just the mainstream cities and countries United will fly to. New connected destinations launching in 2025 will include Nuuk, Greenland; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; and Regina, Canada. All three are destinations that are difficult to reach on other US-based airlines.

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