United Airlines operates longest scheduled Boeing 757 flights as retirements accelerate

United Airlines introduced two new transatlantic routes this year using the Boeing 757. On May 16, it launched service from Newark to Faro in southern Portugal—the first direct link between the US and Faro. This route was made possible through financial incentives and risk-sharing agreements. Initial booking data indicates that about 84% of available seats were filled in May and June; however, full season results will be released later this year.

On May 31, United began flying from Newark to Bilbao in northern Spain. This marked Bilbao’s first-ever transatlantic service. Like the Faro route, this launch benefited from incentives and risk-sharing arrangements. With these additions, United now serves five Spanish airports: Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Malaga, and Palma de Mallorca.

Icelandair also features two long-haul Boeing 757-200 routes: Keflavik-Denver and Keflavik-Portland. Both have a maximum block time of eight hours and five minutes in September. Icelandair plans daily service on these routes but will reduce frequencies during winter months when lower demand leads them to switch some flights from the larger Boeing 757-200s to smaller MAX 8 aircraft.

As airlines continue retiring their aging fleets of Boeing 757s or replacing them with newer models such as Airbus A321XLRs or larger widebodies like the Boeing 787-8/787-10—already deployed by United on former long-haul European routes—the number of extended-range passenger services operated by this type is expected to decline further.