In 1926 United Airlines begin its operations and since then grows as prominent international carriers in the world. The carrier expanded its reach over across six continents and establish as one of the strong transatlantic airlines. Its launched services to Europe in the mid-20th century.
However the long-haul operations has been increased in the past decade—that’s around Newark Liberty International Airport. The airline since then serves as United’s primary hub of transatlantic flights—within global network strategy. The Newark airport also supported the carrier’s sustained growth—long haul capacity; mix of year-round and seasonal services. In the past ten years—the network over notable transformation. Meanwhile the routes come and gone—changed or shifted within certain destination—especially during pandemic. Let’s take more closer look into it—how United’s transatlantic operations from Newark evolved between 2015 and 2025.
United’s Transatlantic Map from Newark in 2015: What It Looked Like
United Airline’s transatlantic operations form Newark Liberty International Airport were more focused within wide geographical spread in 2015. The history of aircraft scheduling from Cirium—data says the carrier served within 25 cities in Europe in the same year but tilted sharply on handful of high volumes routes. This is more then third of the airline’s total transatlantic flights were more focused in just five cities.
However the UK dominant geography in the network—serving top five cities; London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham—accounting for over 3,200 departures. In fact London Heathrow Airport all alone witnessed more the 1,780 flights—which is twice the total of any other city. This is followed by Edinburg, Manchester and Glasgow—that’s together accountable on 501, 365 and 354 flights respectively. Meanwhile Birmingham recorded for 311flights and Belfast in Norther Ireland saw 244 flights within.
Taking over the another step—France and Germany followed its importance—Paris Charles de Gaulle saw 614 flights that across the year—thus making it United’s second busiest transatlantic destinations from Newark. Its consistency in flights within year-around presence indicated over the stable premium and leisure demand for the city.
The airlines in Germany served three major cities–Frankfurt (365), Munich (342), and Hamburg (302). Each of its destination serving flights within stable frequencies over clear performance—reliability in year-around markets for both business in institutional travel links. In the same scheduling Ireland prominent within Dublin 465 flights and Shannon 344 logging air travels.
Furthermore, Geneva and Zurich formed a two-city Swiss presence focused on financial and diplomatic traffic, while Amsterdam and Brussels remained reliable EU hubs with near-daily air travel frequencies. Beyond this, United’s network extended into Southern Europe with close to daily departures to cities in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
How Did United’s Transatlantic Network Evolve Between 2016 And 2020?
Within is structural footprint and expansion in 2015—United planned fore the next five years balancing its air travel between Newark-Europe; mix of experimentation, refinement and capacity over the adjustments. Apart this airline even withdrew its several air routes in UK cities that earlier were key airfare destinations in Newark scheduling. But this peak scheduling face steady drop in flights before disappearing in 2020. By 2020, only London, Manchester, and Edinburgh remained in the UK portfolio.
During the same period—United experimented on new seasonal routes series. Between 2016 and 2019—the carrier introduced within destinations—Athens, Reykjavik, Naples, Porto and Prague within 120-150 flights per year. Although some routes are short-lived and the Newark-Prague route. Others, such as Naples and Porto, were paused following the COVID-19 pandemic but were later reinstated.
But the early 2020—United’s transatlantic network from EWR become more concentrated with aircraft optimization over precise destinations. But the pandemic disrupted on shift immediately—because of travel restrictions—spread across the Europe for long-haul operations. The change is evident in the data: total departures to Europe dropped steeply, and several cities saw only a handful of flights across the year.
2021–2025: Recovery, Realignment & New Growth
That post pandemic with partial lockdown—the global health crisis so far has impact well into world economy and markets including travel industry. This huge change continued within several destinations—remained absent from the scheduling and frequencies of flights—significantly reduced. Thus make certain carrier leaned heavily on few stable routes while waiting for the demand to return. The restrictions meanwhile gradually lifted with demand started—the airlines moved quickly on way to restore & reshape its network.
Routes to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Dublin, and Amsterdam were among the first to regain capacity. Paris, for example, saw a steady increase from 315 flights in 2021 to over 700 by 2025, surpassing its pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, the Newark-London Heathrow route rebounded even more sharply, and, in 2025, United is scheduled to operate more than 2,500 flights to LHR.
Apart that restoring the pre-pandemic presence—the airline kept focused on expanding within network—leaning over different kind of growth over seasonal travel, leisure-heavy destinations in European countries. The newest routes introduced with 2021 and 2025—was within several new routes—which includes Dubrovnik, Bergen, Malaga, Faro, Funchal, Nice, Palma de Mallorca and Bilbo; since then grown steadily.
The carrier marked as Balkans—with an increase from 53 flights in 2021 to over 160 by 2025. New routes apart Bergin in Norway includes Naples and Porto—that were suspended temporarily due to pandemic, rebounded same. However, Glasgow, Birmingham, Hamburg, Prague and Oslo failed to return post-pandemic and remain off the schedule as of 2025. Currently, in 2025, United’s transatlantic network from Newark reflects both recovery and reinvention, and some of the core high-frequency routes that defined a truest reflection of pre-pandemic era that have been surpassed earlier with same capacity levels.
How Has United Deployed Its Fleet On Transatlantic Routes From Newark?
That earlier shift of aircraft utilization is notable within United’s Newark-Europe network within past decade. The popular routes such as Paris—carrier get with rotation over the wide range of aircraft types, however continues on using multiple variants even today. Others, such as the London Heathrow service, have transitioned towards single-type operations: in this case, the 767-300.
Although the period—United deployed on range of fleets and jets within transatlantic services from Newark and such includes-757-200, 767-300, 767-400ERs, 777-200, 777-300ER, 787-8, 787-9, 787-10, and the 737 MAX 8.
In recent times MAX 8 entered the flying over transatlantic routes rotation—but the carrier also operating within narrowbody options on selective long-haul routes like Ponta Delgada and Funchal.
Till day—the most timely used widebody aircraft in the network is 767-300. Its operational within heavily core routes like London Heathrow, Zurich, Geneva and Naples. It has remained consistently deployed since 2015 and is now the sole aircraft type operating Newark-London Heathrow flights.
Looking Ahead To 2026: More Growth, More Consistency
The United since years have worked on expanding its Newark-Europe transatlantic network and capacity into 2026. As per the data, the airline is expected to offer 50 more flights in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, and aircraft deployment is expected to evolve as well.
The overall measures on United’s forward-looking network is within strategy that’s focused on maintaining the stability of air routes with high demand and consistent frequencies. Apart it ensuring the larger capacity—that will surely refine its aircraft assignments across the board. If this trend holds, 2026 could mark another step in the airline’s broader effort to balance growth with reliability across its European operations.
