United Airlines adds new European routes including longest Boeing MAX flights

It is too early for comprehensive data on United’s performance on these newer routes, as full-season figures are not yet available. However, initial data for June shows that United filled about 67% of seats on the Funchal route. This figure may be influenced by factors such as being early in the season and various incentives supporting the launch.

Looking ahead to summer 2026, United plans seasonal daily service between Newark and Glasgow starting May 18, using the MAX 8 aircraft. Service between Newark and Santiago de Compostela will begin May 22 with three weekly flights during the season. When launched, these routes will be United’s longest operated by a MAX aircraft to Europe:

- Newark–Santiago de Compostela: approximately 2,876 nautical miles (7 hours, 50 minutes)

- Newark–Glasgow: approximately 2,805 nautical miles (7 hours, 35 minutes)

- Newark–Funchal: approximately 2,762 nautical miles (7 hours, 30 minutes)

- Newark–Ponta Delgada: approximately 2,238 nautical miles (6 hours, 15 minutes)

Despite these additions, other airlines continue operating longer transatlantic MAX services; for example, Icelandair flies Keflavik-Seattle at over 3,100 nautical miles.

Continental and later United ran the Newark–Glasgow route between 1998 and its suspension in 2019 using primarily Boeing 757s. Over those years more than two million passengers flew this route with an average seat occupancy rate of about 85%. In recent years Edinburgh has overtaken Glasgow as Scotland's main long-haul airport following changes brought by the pandemic; next summer Edinburgh is set for up to eleven daily US departures compared with no more than two from Glasgow.