United Airlines unveils 10 new international routes

United Airlines unveiled 10 new international routes Tuesday consisting of a mix of established and less-visited destinations.

The carrier cited what it called persistently strong travel demand despite inflation.

The new offerings include direct routes from US airports to the islands of Sardinia in Italy and Ibiza, Spain and cities like Luxembourg and Marseille where no US carrier currently has non-stop service.

The plan includes a four-times weekly trip from United's Newark, New Jersey hub near New York City to Ljubljana, Slovenia. This is something rival US carriers haven't proposed "because it doesn't fit easily into an Excel spreadsheet," said United Senior Vice President Patrick Quayle.

"We are inspiring people to travel to places they've never heard of," Quayle said.

The expansion fits into the strategy under United's ambitious CEO Scott Kirby to strengthen the company's standing as a premium travel brand. Kirby also made headlines by seeking a megamerger but rival American Airlines rejected the outreach.

Several of the new routes make use of the Airbus A321XLR, which expands the function of single-aisle jets to international service on routes usually flown with widebodies.

The XLR can seat up to 244 people, but United opted for 150 seats in a configuration that allows for premium seating options, extra bathrooms and a snack bar to accommodate passengers on longer flights.

While both Airbus and Boeing have struggled with supply chain problems in recent years, Kirby expressed confidence that Airbus would deliver planes in time for the spring 2027 period when most of the routes are set to begin service.

"We're flexible," said Kirby. "Some of these routes would have started last year if all the deliveries had been on time. But it's just a matter of timing."

While United is currently scheduling XLRs it has not yet received from Airbus, Kirby said the company is holding off on scheduling the 737 MAX 10 until it is certified.

United officials are hopeful about the aircraft after US officials certified the 737 MAX 7 earlier this month. The carrier expects to begin receiving the MAX 10 next summer.