One of United's new route launches will connect Newark with Palermo, Italy, with three roundtrips per week onboard Boeing 767-400s.
United Airlines’ summer 2025 schedule will feature several destinations not served by any other U.S. carriers, including new routes to cities in Greenland, Mexico, Mongolia, Senegal, and Taiwan.
The Chicago-based airline says this expansion marks the largest international growth in its history, with five nonstop flights launching from its New York Newark hub and a further three from Washington Dulles.
Additionally, United will introduce a new route between Houston and Puerto Escondido, making it the first U.S. airline to offer service to the popular Mexican coastal town. The carrier will also launch a flight from San Francisco to San José, Costa Rica, marking the seventh United hub with a direct connection to the Costa Rican capital.
From Newark, United will open five new routes to cities that no other U.S. airline currently serves. These comprise Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; and Faro and Madeira in Portugal. Washington Dulles will see three new routes, with year-round operations to Dakar, Senegal, and seasonal flights to Nice, France, and Venice, Italy.
United also plans to add service to other existing European destinations, such as Greek capital Athens, Spanish city Barcelona and Venice, with earlier start dates. It will also increase frequencies between Newark and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, as well as Dubrovnik, Croatia.
In addition to this transatlantic growth, United is expanding its network in the Pacific. The airline will add direct flights from Tokyo Narita to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, both destinations not served by any other U.S. carrier. United will also introduce a nonstop flight from Tokyo Narita to Koror, Palau, building on its existing services from Guam and Manila.
Patrick Quayle, senior vice president of global network planning and alliances at United, says the carrier’s latest expansion gives travelers unparalleled options. “No other airline gives customers nonstop access to as many unique international destinations and experiences from the U.S. as United,” he adds.
Of the routes from Newark, a seasonal service to Nuuk will begin on June 14, 2025, using Boeing 737-8 aircraft and operating twice a week. The move comes as Nuuk’s new runway prepares to open next month, with Air Greenland set to inaugurate the 2,200-m (7,218-ft.) runway on Nov. 28.
“United's service highlights the significant investment being made in not just the country's new airports, but also throughout the travel and tourism industries around the country,” says Greenland Airports CEO Jens R. Lauridsen.
Newark-Faro will launch on May 16, operating four times per week, while Newark-Palermo begins on May 21 with three roundtrips per week onboard 767-400s. Flights to Bilbao will commence on May 31 and to Madeira on June 7, both of which will be 3X-weekly.
From Washington Dulles, a route to Senegal will open on May 23, operating three times per week. This expands United’s African network to six destinations, joining year-round flights to Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; and Lagos, Nigeria—as well as seasonal service to Marrakesh, Morocco. It comes as Air Senegal cuts back on service to the U.S.
The two other new routes from Washington Dulles include a daily seasonal flight to Venice from May 22, followed by a 4X-weekly service to Nice two days later.
In the Asia-Pacific market, the seasonal Tokyo Narita-Ulaanbaatar service launches on May 1, followed by Tokyo Narita-Kaohsiung on July 11. The latter complements the airline's 2X-daily nonstop service between San Francisco and Taipei.
On top of United's expansion across the Atlantic and Pacific, the carrier will be the first and only airline to connect the U.S. and Puerto Escondido. Operations will be once a week year-round from April 5, with flights from Houston operated by United Express partner Mesa Airlines on Embraer 175 aircraft. The move increases United’s Mexican network to 23 destinations.
“Puerto Escondido Airport, as well as the destination itself, has been growing at an exponential rate over the past decade and this—its first international scheduled air service—demonstrates how appealing the market has become as a great new destination in Mexico to explore,” says David Appleby, director of air service development consulting at ASM, the route development consultancy that is part of Aviation Week Network. ASM, in collaboration with other stakeholders, has worked for more than 18 months to secure this route, engaging in numerous discussions at Routes events throughout the process.
Finally, United will add a new daily flight between San Francisco and San José from May 22, operating using 737-8s. All seven of United’s U.S. hubs will now have nonstop flights to the city.
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