United Airways plans extra Boeing 757 flights to Europe within the peak summer season of 2026 than at any level since 2017. It’s because it can start Washington Dulles to Keflavik service subsequent 12 months, which was revealed lately. It is going to compete straight with Icelandair, whereas the now-defunct PLAY ceased flying to Dulles final 12 months.
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Star Alliance member’s 757s have been inherited from Continental. In accordance with ch-aviation, its 757-200s, which have 176 seats, common 28.7 years. They’re paid off, which implies that they’re much cheaper on this sense than newer options, which embody its incoming Airbus A321XLRs. This helps to offset the upper gas consumption and upkeep necessities. Elsewhere, United lately doubled its 737 MAX 8 routes to Europe.
United’s Most 757 Flights To Europe Since 2017
Credit score: Cirium Diio
The determine above exhibits United’s 757 flights to Europe for every July since 2012. The exception is 2020, throughout the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, when United didn’t use the kind throughout the Atlantic. The information is from analyzing the service’s schedule submission to Cirium Diio.
Subsequent July, some 558 one-way flights are deliberate, which is equal to 18 every day departures. They’ve risen by practically 6% year-over-year and by a whopping 38% in comparison with earlier than COVID-19 in July 2019. It means the growing old however characterful 757 will function 17% of United’s European providers. This displays the scenario as of October 14, with modifications possible.
The place Will United Fly The 757 Subsequent July?
Credit score: GCMap
Sixteen airport pairs are deliberate for the height of subsequent 12 months. That’s another than in July 2025, with Washington Dulles to Keflavik being the only real addition. As of now, the whole lot else stays the identical. That features United’s two new routes from Newark, the place the airline has 72% of flights, to Southern Europe. Faro service started in Might 2025, adopted by Bilbao the next month.
United will depart from Dulles for Keflavik on Might 22, 2026. When it does, the market will then have two operators for the primary time since PLAY pulled out in 2024. Furthermore, now that Icelandair deploys the 737 MAX 8/MAX 9, it is going to be the primary time it has seen the 757 since 2022. United’s providing will imply extra choices for passengers connecting from throughout the US to succeed in the ever-popular Iceland.
757 Frequency In July 2026*
Route**
Two every day
Newark to Edinburgh and Porto; Washington Dulles to Dublin
Every day
Chicago O’Hare to Edinburgh, Keflavik, and Shannon; Newark to Brussels, Dublin, Keflavik, Malaga, Shannon, Stockholm Arlanda; Washington Dulles to Edinburgh and Keflavik
4 weekly
Newark to Faro
Three weekly
Newark to Bilbao
* Deliberate as of October 14, and topic to vary
** Deliberate as of October 14, and topic to vary
Three routes may have two every day flights. They embody Newark to Porto, which is Portugal’s second most populous metropolis. United has served it since 2018. Fellow Star member TAP Air Portugal, which is growing a mini-hub in Porto out of necessity, will serve Newark every day on the A321LR.
The Larger NYC-Porto market is heating up. On Might 21, 2026, Delta will start its every day New York JFK operation on the 767-300ER. It is going to change Azores Airways, which briefly served that airport pair weekly (!) in 2024 utilizing a 767-300ER leased from EuroAtlantic.
Newark To Stockholm Stays United’s Longest European 757 Service
Credit score: Flickr
At 3,415 nautical miles (6,325 km) every means, Newark to the Swedish capital will nonetheless be United’s longest 757 operation to Europe subsequent July. In actual fact, given the dwindling variety of carriers utilizing the kind, it is going to be the world’s longest scheduled passenger 757 operation.
Till SAS moved to SkyTeam in September 2024, it was a superb instance of a long-haul Star-driven hyperlink. No extra. Regardless of SAS’s alliance shift, that service nonetheless plans to serve Newark (somewhat than New York JFK) six instances weekly on the A330-300. Whereas it runs year-round to the New Jersey hub, United has a really peak-season service, normally just for three months.
