United Airlines has announced the largest international expansion in its history with service to eight new cities, including Dakar, Senegal. According to the airline, with United’s nonstop Washington/Dulles-Senegal flight, launching May 23, 2025 United will now fly to more destinations in Africa than any other U.S. carrier. United describes Dakar as “the gateway to Africa with pristine beaches, lush forests and rich archaeological history,” as Dakar is centrally located on Africa’s west coastline.
This year-round, three-times weekly service builds on the airline’s existing service to Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa; Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria and seasonal service to Marrakesh, Morocco; United’s new first-ever flight to Dakar will help further Africa’s growing tourism industry, which has seen 13% more arrivals in the first quarter this year compared to the same period in 2023 according to the UN Tourism, the airline noted.
Further, starting in May 2025, United said it will launch five new nonstop flights, subject to government approval, from its hub in Newark/New York to destinations no other U.S. airline serves including Nuuk, Greenland starting June 14 2025; Palermo, Italy beginning May 21, 2025; Bilbao, Spain launching May 31, 2025; Madeira Island, Portugal starting June 7, and Faro, Portugal starting May 16, 2025. The airline is also adding three new nonstop routes from Washington D.C./Dulles including new seasonal nonstop flights to Nice, France and Venice, Italy.
Already the U.S. carrier with the most flights across the Atlantic, United’s summer 2025 transatlantic schedule will be the largest in its history with more than 760 weekly flights. In addition to new flights, customers will have even more time to explore Venice, Italy; Athens, Greece; and Barcelona, Spain with earlier start dates next summer. The airline will also increase the number of weekly direct flights between Newark/New York-Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Newark/New York-Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Newark/New York–Athens, Greece.
According to the airline, United is also adding new direct flights from Tokyo–Narita to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia launching May 1 2025, and Kaohsiung, starting July 11 2025 – destinations no other U.S. airline serves – and a new nonstop flight to Koror, Palau. These new flights will seamlessly connect in Tokyo to United’s transpacific services to five hub locations in the continental United States.
The summer expansion unlocks a wide range of experiences from reindeer sleigh rides, camel racing and seeing sunshine at midnight to bucket list attractions like the Guggenheim Museum and Italy’s largest opera house.
United is the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles, and flies to more international destinations than any other U.S. carrier. In total next summer, United will offer 800 daily flights to and from 147 international destinations – including 40 that no other U.S. airline serves.
“No other airline gives customers nonstop access to as many unique international destinations and experiences from the U.S. as United,” said Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances. “Our network provides the most choice and variety for our customers, whether they are looking for a relaxing seaside getaway, once-in-a-lifetime adventure travel or to explore some of the most vibrant urban escapes across the globe.”
This expansion comes on the heels of the latest chapter of United’s award-winning Good Leads The Way brand advertising campaign, which debuted earlier in October 2024. In addition to the new destinations coming to United’s global network, the airline will also expand service to some its most popular international destinations, United also stated.
