United Airlines just announced its largest-ever international route expansion for summer 2025—including increased flights to tourist-favorite countries like Spain, Italy, and France and brand new routes to lesser-visited destinations like Mongolia, Greenland, and Senegal.
In several of the new destinations, United will be the only US airline or North American carrier to offer flights. Adding unique and unexpected international destinations to its route map has been a key growth strategy for the airline in recent years. “Over the last eight years, our team has intentionally expanded our international network to beyond traditional business destinations,” Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, said on a media conference call. “We’re trying to fly to places to speak to all travelers, from honeymooners to adventure travelers and beyond.”
One of United’s most unexpected—and exciting—new routes launching in 2025 is service to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The carrier will operate a seasonal nonstop flight three times a week from Tokyo Narita into Ulaanbaatar. When the route launches on May 1, United will be the only US carrier to fly to Mongolia, a destination that’s been on the rise with adventure travelers for its striking, unspoiled landscapes. (Tourists visits for 2024 are already up 25% year-over-year, according to a United release.) The new flight from Tokyo Narita means many US travelers will have one-stop access to this remote country.
Also launching from Tokyo Narita is a year-round, nonstop flight to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The new service, which begins on July 11, will give US fliers easier access to the southern region of the island, saving them a three-hour train ride from Taipei.
Another exciting destination that will get adventure travelers’ hearts racing is Nuuk, Greenland. With a new airport set to open this November, Nuuk will soon be an important gateway to Greenland’s glaciers, quaint fishing towns, and dramatic fjords. On June 14, the airline will launch twice weekly service from Newark, New Jersey into the Greenland capital. The historic new four-hour flight will be the only direct connection between the US and Greenland.
United will also be launching several more notable new transatlantic flights out of Newark next summer, including nonstops to Palermo, Sicily on May 21; Bilbao, Spain on May 31; and Faro and Madeira Island, Portugal on May 16 and June 7, respectively.
The carrier is also adding another African destination to its rapidly growing network across that continent. On May 23, United is launching a nonstop, year-round flight to Dakar, Senegal from Washington DC’s Dulles airport. In recent years, the Senegalese capital has been growing in popularity with US tourists for its beaches and islands, local markets, and museums. The new service will operate three times per week and will be United’s sixth destination in Africa.
Other notable launches from Dulles include new routes to Europe, including a seasonal nonstop to Venice, Italy that will begin on May 22 and operate daily, as well as a seasonal nonstop to Nice, France starting on May 24.
In total, United will fly a whopping 760 weekly flights across the Atlantic next summer. “It’s pretty remarkable to see how much we’ve grown,” Quayle said. “In the Atlantic, we’ve taken our network from 23 destinations in 2017 to over 40 destinations next year, which is more than all the US airlines combined.”
According to Quayle, savvy travelers are looking for new and different destinations, and the more of these offerings United adds to its network, the more its traveler base grows. “I’m proud of our team and of United and how bold we’ve been,” Quayle said. “What we’re really trying to do is add experiences and take people to unique destinations around the world.”
