United Airlines announced on Tuesday that it plans to launch a substantial number of new international routes in 2027, ranging from European cities like Ljubljana, Slovenia to destinations in Asia including Okinawa, Japan. The expansion reflects the airline’s strategy to capitalize on evolving traveler preferences and maintain profitability amid rising operational costs.
The carrier is focusing on secondary and tertiary destinations beyond traditional major tourist hubs such as Tokyo and Rome. According to Patrick Quayle, the airline’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, travelers increasingly seek to avoid overcrowded large European cities. United has identified opportunities in destinations across Portugal, Italy, Spain, and France, recognizing that passengers are increasingly booking so-called open-jaw flights that depart from different cities than their arrival points.
Specific new routes include nonstop service from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan, as well as new flights from Denver to Paris and a resumption of service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, Israel. The airline is also planning to launch flights from San Francisco to Sapporo, Japan, a high-end ski destination, in December. Additionally, United is adding two business-travel focused routes, including connections between Toulouse and Virginia targeting aerospace industry professionals, and between Luxembourg and Virginia serving Amazon corporate travel.
United CEO Scott Kirby noted that the airline’s international destinations now operate extended seasons, with service running through October, which has emerged as one of the carrier’s strongest months. Since 2021, United has added 49 new destinations total and operates nonstop service to 32 locations where no other U.S. airline provides direct flights. The airline emphasized that these additions do not require discontinuing any existing routes.
United remains the second-most profitable U.S. airline after Delta Air Lines, though it maintains a larger international network. Delta has recently announced its own international expansion efforts, including new Pacific routes launched this summer and previously announced service to Hong Kong beginning in June.
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