Keep in mind when the concept of seeing a B737 from a US airline in Europe appeared unattainable? Properly, that’s altering as United has now introduced its first path to mainland Europe with a B737-8 MAX to a metropolis you’ve most likely by no means heard of. That is a part of a broader summer season announcement that has some very sensible and measured progress.
United has spent a few years making flashier and flashier summer season route provides. It’s laborious to high final 12 months’s Greenland journey, however that shouldn’t be the purpose anyway. With figurative partitions being thrown up by the US authorities and the economic system slowing down, worldwide growth turns into much less and fewer of a certain factor.
The query then remained, would United go huge or would it not go extra conservative subsequent 12 months? I feel it’s achieved the latter, however it will possibly nonetheless get headlines by placing these MAXs to good use. Listed here are the 4 new cities, all are being flown from Newark:
Bari (Italy) 4x weekly on a business-heavy B767-300ER from Could 1
Glasgow 1x day by day on a B737-8 MAX from Could 8
Santiago de Compostela (Spain) 3x weekly on a B737-8 MAX from Could 22
Cut up (Croatia) 3x weekly on a business-heavy B767-300ER from April 30
The airline can be rising frequency and connecting dots on three different routes, although just one is in Europe:
Reykjavik/Keflavik 1x day by day from Washington/Dulles on a B757-200 from Could 21
Seoul/Incheon 1x day by day from Newark on a B787-9 from September 4
Tel Aviv will increase from 2x day by day to 18x weekly from Newark, new 4x weekly flights on the B787-9 from March 28
Total, that is nonetheless a formidable record of recent flights for a comparatively unsure time. However whenever you have a look at this underneath a microscope, it’s probably not as dramatic as it could appear at first blush.
The B767 Seems to be for Gold on the Med
There may be one B767 devoted to Cut up some days and Bari the others. This airplane is being pulled off of Newark to Athens (3x weekly) and Frankfurt (4x weekly). These every nonetheless have 1x day by day, and we don’t know if Lufthansa may backfill and improve Frankfurt anyway. I like this guess.
This simply follows the maxim that in case your metropolis touches the Mediterranean, it will possibly assist a flight to the US in summer season. No person flies from the US to Cut up, and solely Neos flies to JFK from Bari. Neos carries primarily Italian origin visitors, so this can be a extensive open alternative for United.
These are operated by the “high-J” B767 with loads of premium seats. This can cater to the cruisers and excursions that cease or finish in one among these factors. Immediately, they don’t seem to be simple to entry since a lot of the flights that would join again to the US are timed for the European traveler. They depart later within the day.
Let me put it one other means. In July 2025, there have been 2,625 flights from Cut up to different cities in Europe. Of these, solely 875 departed earlier than midday. And of these, solely 138 have been operated by an airline to its main European hub with connecting choices to the US. (And I’m being beneficiant by together with Croatia Airways flights right here since they’re carefully tied with Lufthansa.) In the meantime, in June and July of this 12 months, there have been 182 day by day passengers every means between the US and Bari and 278 to Cut up.
Three flights per week nonstop to Newark? I like its probabilities.
The MAX is Going to Complement the A321XLR
I don’t assume I fairly appreciated what the MAX was going to have the ability to do for United. It’s already flying to Nuuk in Greenland together with Madeira and Ponta Delgada (Azores) in Portugal. However now it’s going to stretch even additional. Madeira is a mere 3,178 statute miles from Newark. Now we have now Glasgow at 3,228 and Santiago de Compostela at 3,310. This shouldn’t be an issue since right this moment United flies the MAX on Anchorage – Newark which is 3,369 miles.
I couldn’t imagine that Glasgow had no actual US service, however certain sufficient the one factor it had this previous summer season was a twice weekly flight to Melbourne (FL) on TUI. That hardly counts. In fact, Edinburgh is a brief drive away, however for individuals who want Glasgow, this ought to be a welcome addition. And because it’s on a MAX, it isn’t an enormous threat.
As for Santiago de Compostela, effectively that one is fascinating. For those who’ve ever wished to go to that area within the northwest of Spain, it’s an actual ache that this previous summer season solely drew about 30 passengers every means per day from the US. The closest airport with Transatlantic service is Porto, a very good 2.5 hour drive away, and that doesn’t have a lot service anyway. Madrid is a hefty six hours away by automotive, although you possibly can slash it in half on a practice.
On a name with the media yesterday, United’s SVP of International Community Planning and Alliances Patrick Quayle was requested whether or not these MAX flights have been only a placeholder till the A321XLR arrives. He was very clear in saying they weren’t, and for 2 causes. First, the MAX is smaller, however most likely extra importantly, Patrick highlighted how the MAX solely has coach and “premium economic system” which is definitely home first. The A321XLR may have flat beds. These are totally different airplanes for various markets.
Taking Benefit of Alternatives
Of the remaining, Keflavik looks like a straightforward one to strive, and extra Tel Aviv service works nice… barring extra war-related closures. Nevertheless it was Newark – Seoul/Incheon that I discovered notably fascinating. New York is the second greatest US marketplace for Seoul outdoors of LA, however United solely serves Incheon from San Francisco twice day by day and nowhere else.
Prior to now, United may at leat depend on its Star Alliance companion Asiana for some feed, however with Korean having purchased Asiana, United loses any semblance of a companion. Immediately, Korean and Asiana every fly 2x day by day from JFK however solely Air Premia has a single day by day flight from Newark. This can be a good transfer for United.
This, once more, is under no circumstances as spectacular and expansive as final 12 months’s announcement, but it surely’s nonetheless notable sufficient for me to hassle writing a publish. I’d count on that these new locations will get some good press for United with out committing too many property to make the routes fly. It’s a inventive stability.
