On March 30, northern carriers will switch to summer schedules based on IATA slot seasons. Over 40 scheduled passenger airlines will operate between the US and Europe.
While there is not much in it, examining every planned service using Cirium Diio data shows United Airlines has again replaced Delta Air Lines as the largest carrier.
How the pair compare to Europe
The following figure shows the two carriers' European two-way seats for sale every summer between 2014 and 2025.
It is based on their schedule submissions to Cirium Diio. Both airlines plan the highest capacity volumes to date.
Delta has scheduled 9.68 million round trip seats, up over 5% from its prior high last summer. In contrast, United has grown by almost 6% year-on-year, with 9.72 million seats available.
United is less than 0.4% larger than Delta in this sense. Nonetheless, it has regained the US-Europe throne, a position last held in 2023.
United will provide about one in seven seats in this ever-important transatlantic market when all airlines are considered.
If flights were considered instead, the gap would be significantly wider. Then, United would have a tenth more services than Delta, with 40,956 round trip flights (up to 211 daily) against 37,232 (up to 194 daily).
The difference is influenced by United's Boeing 757-200ERs and high-premium 167-seat Boeing 767-300ERs. They contribute to that carrier's average seats per flight being just 237 against Delta's 260.
United's European network: summer 2025
The Star Alliance member European map will encompass 82 routes from seven hubs between March 30 and October 25. Its network has risen from 75 routes last summer; the additions are mentioned later in the article.
The 82 airport pairs include Newark to Tenerife South, with the last Spain-bound flight leaving New Jersey on May 1. While subject to change, Tenerife flights—all on the 757-200ER—will return on December 18.
Almost 40% of United's European services are from Newark, with 33 routes served. United has nearly twice as many Europe-bound flights from Newark as from Washington Dulles, its second-largest hub for such operations. In the summer, it has 17 Dulles-Europe links.
United will fly to 33 European airports
Its 33 European airports are in 14 countries. It has more flights to/from the UK than anywhere else, followed by Germany, Italy, France, and Spain. In contrast, Sweden is its least-served nation.
Its daily summer-only 757-operated link between Newark and Stockholm Arlanda runs between June 5 and August 31. It will be the world's longest nonstop 757 scheduled service during this time.
It will serve six airports in Spain, more than in any other European country. Next are Italy and Portugal, each with five.
It will be the first time United (or any US carrier) has served five Portuguese airports: Faro, Funchal, Lisbon, Ponta Delgada, and Porto.
Four airports have been added
United's portfolio has risen from 29 airports last summer to 33 now. It has added Bilbao, Faro, Funchal, and Palermo to its map.
Underpinned by financial incentives and potentially other supportive mechanisms, it will be the first time that Bilbao has had US (or transatlantic) flights.
Faro (which United originally announced in 2023) will get its first US service, although it is linked from Canada by Air Transat.
For the first time, a US operator will serve Funchal and Palmero. United replaces Azores Airlines to/from Greater NYC, which ended New York JFK flights, while it will supplement Italian carrier Neos from Palermo, which serves JFK.
The details are as follows. I'm sure they'll be included in my Weekly Routes article, showcasing examples of notable additions.
- Newark to Bilbao: begins May 31 (three weekly 757-200ER)
- Newark to Faro: starts May 16 (four weekly 757-200ER)
- Newark to Funchal: begins June 7 (three weekly 737 MAX 8)
- Newark to Palermo: starts May 21 (three weekly 767-400ER)
Three other routes will begin
In addition to the four links mentioned above, United will begin these routes during the summer. None of them have been served before:
- Denver to Rome: begins May 1 (daily 787-9)
- Washington Dulles to Nice: starts May 22 (four weekly 767-300ER)
- Washington Dulles to Venice: begins May 22 (daily 767-300ER)
