United Airlines is going for global dominance. These are the 10 new international routes it just announced.
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- United Airlines announced 10 new international routes on Tuesday.
- Eight of those aren't served by other US carriers, and five will use the new Airbus A321XLR.
- CEO Scott Kirby said he wants to create an airline that Americans think of as the US flag carrier.
United Airlines is looking to step up and be a dominant player on the world stage.
On Tuesday, it announced 10 new international routes. On eight of those routes, United will be the only US airline operating.
Five of the routes will be operated by the Airbus A321XLR, United's newest airplane. It is a single-aisle jet with an expanded range — unlocking long-haul destinations that wouldn't fill enough seats on a wide-body airplane.
The new routes are:
- San Francisco to Okinawa, Japan
- Washington Dulles to Toulouse, France (XLR)
- Newark to Luxembourg (XLR)
- Newark to Marseille, France (XLR)
- Newark to Ibiza, Spain (XLR)
- Newark to Valencia, Spain (XLR)
- Newark to Terceira, Portugal
- Newark to Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Newark to Olbia, Italy
- Newark to Catania, Italy
The new routes are planned to start next spring, beginning with Okinawa on March 27. The Spain and Portugal routes will be the last to launch, with a scheduled start date in early June.
Business Insider toured a United A321XLR at last month's Farnborough Airshow. As well as 20 Polaris business-class suites and 12 in Premium Plus, it also features a European-style premium class, which blocks out a middle seat with a shared table to give customers extra elbow room.
While United is already the world's largest airline, with over 1,100 airplanes, it's seeking a leading role globally.
At a media event on Tuesday, United CEO Scott Kirby told reporters more about his ambitions.
He said he wanted to create an airline that all Americans "think of as the flag carrier of the United States," according to an X post from Tim Jue, an aviation journalist.
"Just like somebody in Dubai is proud of Emirates, I want American US citizens to feel the same way about United Airlines," Kirby reportedly added.
A Polaris suite on United's Airbus A321XLR.Pete Syme/Business Insider
While most countries designate one or two airlines as the national airline, or flag carrier, the US defines all its internationally operating airlines as flag carriers.
This makes it harder for one of the Big Three — United, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines — to gain distinct supremacy.
However, Kirby has been exploring the possibility of a mammoth merger.
Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that United approached Delta about a merger, but talks did not advance beyond the preliminary stages.
Following a similar report in April, American Airlines released a statement saying it "is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines."
While expanding internationally helps raise United's profile, there's still a way to go before it could claim to be on Emirates' level, with an immense global network and elite first-class suites.
"The truth is, those carriers in Asia and the Middle East have a better product than any airline in the Western world, including United," Kirby told Live and Let's Fly last Thursday.
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