United Airlines has confirmed the first two international cities that its upcoming ‘Born to Explore’ Airbus A321XLR aircraft will fly as part of a huge network expansion.
On August 25, 2026, at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), the United Airlines CEO, Scott Kirby, announced that the first international A321XLR flights will start on December 1, 2026.
The new high endurance narrowbody jets will depart from Washington Dulles International Airport (IHD) to Amsterdam and Dublin, following the opening domestic routes in September 2026.
With the Airbus A321XLR capable of flying up to around 4,700 nautical miles, the first two international routes will be seen as a safe option for United.
As part of today’s big announcement, United introduced 10 new destinations for summer 2027, five of which will be operated by the A321XLR.
From April 2, 2027, a daily A321XLR service will depart EWR for Luxembourg City (LUX) followed closely by the introduction of daily A321XLR flights from IHD to Toulouse Airport (TLS) on April 26, 2027.
From May 1, 2027, passengers will be able to catch a four-time weekly service on an A321XLR from EWR to Ibiza (IBZ) and a three times weekly service on an A321XLR from EWR to Valencia (VLC) from June 1, 2027.
Finally, from June 4, 2027, a daily A321XLR flight will leave EWR for Marseille (MRS) in the south of France.
According to United, it is the only airline to fly non-stop from the US to Luxembourg City, Toulouse, Ibiza, Valencia and Marseille.
Each of United’s A321XLR aircraft offers 32 premium seats, including 20 United Polaris suites and 12 United Premium Plus seats.
According to ch-aviation, so far, United has taken delivery of just one Airbus A321XLR, but the aircraft has yet to enter commercial service. The airline expects to receive five more by the end of 2026.
What else did United announce?
Among the other new destinations United will fly to in summer 2027, are Okinawa (OKA) from San Francisco (SFO), starting March 27, 2026.
From Newark, the carrier will also fly to Ljubljana (LJU) from March 27, 2027, Olbia (OLB) from May 27, 2027, Catania (CTA) from May 28, 2027, and Terceira (TER) from June 9, 2027.
Beyond the 10 new cities, United is adding new flights from Los Angeles to Osaka, Washington DC to Milan, Denver to Paris and will restart service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv.
United described the new destinations and routes as the “largest international network expansion in company history”.
*New plane loading*
— United Airlines (@united) June 4, 2026
Our first A321XLR is here, decked out with the United Elevated interior. Inside you'll find:
✨ Lie-flat United Polaris business class seats with all-aisle access
💺 United Premium Plus with a retractable divider
📺 The biggest economy seatback screen in… pic.twitter.com/h3VWHJj5n4
“The creative and strategic way we’ve expanded our international network since the pandemic has made all the difference, not only for our customers and employees, but also as a way to differentiate United and build a brand focused on customers,” Kirby said.
He added: “We offer the most flights across the Atlantic and Pacific and Newark is the best Atlantic gateway in the country – so far this year, it’s the most on-time airport in the New York City area. We’re going to keep building on that momentum as we welcome the new A321XLR to our fleet and continue to elevate the travel experience for every customer who chooses United.”