NEWARK, New Jersey, May 25, 2026, 09:04 EDT
United Airlines will launch nonstop Newark-Santiago de Compostela flights on May 27, using a Boeing 737 MAX 8. The new transatlantic route is one of the longest United is flying with a narrowbody. United is adding this as part of its broader summer plan to reach smaller European destinations, after it restarted flights to Glasgow earlier this month.
United is choosing to use single-aisle jets, instead of bigger widebodies, to start new thinner routes. The move comes as summer travel ramps up and lets United fly farther across the Atlantic with narrowbodies that usually handle domestic or short international trips, not long-haul flights.
UA222 is set to depart Newark at 7:15 p.m., arriving in Santiago de Compostela at 8:15 a.m. next day. Scheduled flight time is seven hours. The flight back from Spain starts May 28, posted at 7 hours, 55 minutes—westbound usually faces stronger headwinds.
United’s new Santiago flight is set to be its longest 737 MAX 8 route, with block times for the westbound trip coming in at around eight hours, Simple Flying reported Monday. That’s the full gate-to-gate time, not just the time spent flying, the report noted.
United is pitching the route as part of a move away from just flying to major European capitals. Patrick Quayle, who heads global network planning and alliances at United, said in October the carrier aims to connect people to “unique, trendsetting destinations” unserved by other U.S. airlines. United – Newsroom
United plans to start three weekly flights from Newark to Santiago de Compostela, which it says is the first regular U.S. service to the Galician city. Santiago is a tourism and pilgrimage spot in northwest Spain. United’s Spain routes also include Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, and Bilbao.
United restarted direct U.S. flights at Glasgow Airport with the launch of daily seasonal nonstop service between Newark and Glasgow on May 8-9. United and Glasgow Airport said the route brings back a nonstop U.S. airline connection to the Scottish airport for the first time since 2019.
United’s Newark-Glasgow flight, UA230, departs at 10:15 p.m. and lands in Glasgow at 10:10 a.m. the next day, according to the published schedule from Glasgow Airport. The return, UA231, leaves Glasgow at 2 p.m. and gets back to Newark at 4:35 p.m., both using the 737 MAX 8.
Karolien De Hertogh, director of sales for the UK and Ireland at United, said bringing back the Glasgow route was “further underlining the importance of Scotland” for United’s network. AGS Airports CEO Kam Jandu described it as the return of “one of our most popular long-haul routes.” Glasgow Airport
United’s Glasgow flight uses a plane set up for 166 seats, with 16 United Premium Plus, 54 Economy Plus and 96 economy spots. That layout leaves United with fewer seats to sell than on a widebody, but it also puts travelers on a smaller jet for the Atlantic hop. The aircraft doesn’t have the large premium cabin most long-haul flyers expect.
United isn’t up against nonstop competition on Newark to Glasgow, according to Air Service One. American, Delta and JetBlue all run New York JFK to Edinburgh flights, but nothing direct to Glasgow. United’s summer 2026 additions—Split, Bari, Glasgow and Santiago de Compostela—target cities with little or no nonstop U.S. service.
The concern is these are thinner, seasonal markets, and the business relies on filling enough seats in the summer instead of steady corporate travel all year. Weather, westbound winds, or softer late bookings could put more pressure on keeping a long 737 MAX route profitable, especially with airlines saying schedules might still shift.
United’s Newark operation picks up more international routes with the new flights. Glasgow Airport said United expects to fly to over 160 destinations in 48 countries from Newark in summer 2026, covering 41 cities across Europe, India, Africa, the Middle East, and Greenland.
