Why United Airlines Is Launching 1st Nonstop Flights To This Tiny European Airport

Published Aug 26, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT James lives and breathes route development. Educated in Air Transport Management at Loughborough University and Cranfield University, James has a PhD in Airline Strategy and Economics. James was Market Opportunity Analyst at London Luton Airport and Chief Analyst at anna.aero. He taught airline strategy and economics to undergraduate and postgraduate students for five years and has worked closely with multiple carriers on route and market intelligence projects. He is based near London, UK. You will know by now that United Airlines announced 11 new and returning routes to Europe this week. Among other developments, the Star Alliance member will begin flying from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Ibiza, Ljubljana, Luxembourg, Marseille, Toulouse, and Valencia for the first time. The carrier will provide the only scheduled US flights to each of those destinations. Based on flights in 2026, OAG shows that Marseille is Europe's 54th-busiest airport this year, followed by Valencia (56th), Ibiza (75th), Toulouse (78th), Luxembourg (83rd), and, the subject of this article, Ljubljana (169th). United From EWR To Ljubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, which is in Central Europe. It is famous for lakes, mountains, and its beautiful capital. Covering just 7,827 square miles (20,272 square kilometers), it is a tiny nation. Funnily enough, it is smaller in area than New Jersey, from which United will begin flying to Ljubljana Jože Pucnik Airport (LJU) on May 12, 2027, ahead of the peak summer. As EX-YU Aviation points out, it'll be the first service from Greater New York City to LJU in 36 years. It'll operate four times a week using the 231-seat Boeing 767-400ER. This equipment has 34 Polaris seats (1-2-1), 24 seats in Premium Plus (2-2-2; 38" pitch), 48 seats in Economy Plus (2-3-2; up to 41" pitch), and 125 seats in regular economy (2-3-2; 31" pitch). It is always good to see 2-3-2 in economy. United will provide LJU's only widebody and long-haul operation, and the only overnight inbound service. Days EWR To LJU; Local Times Days LJU To EWR; Local Times Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays 4:20 PM-6:40 AM+1 Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays 9:55 AM-1:40 PM Loading map… Drag to explore Hang On: Why Will United Begin Flying To LJU? It is because of the fast-growing tourism from the United States to Slovenia, and no doubt assisted by financial incentives and other risk-sharing agreements. In 2019, statistics from the Slovenian Tourist Board suggest that around 149,000 US citizens visited the nation. By 2024, that figure had jumped to approximately 180,000, which was a rise of more than a fifth. In 2025, it grew again, with over 200,000 annual US visitors for the first time, up by 11% in a year. The number of people searching for flights to LJU has probably increased substantially recently. Examining search data, rather than just historical passenger data, has become increasingly popular in considering new route opportunities. Many of United's recent European routes are not only in Southern, Central, or Southeastern Europe, but revolve around inbound tourism. Other examples include Bari (launched in 2026), Bilbao (2025), Catania (2027), Dubrovnik (2021), Faro (2025), Funchal (2025), Ibiza (2027), Marseille (2027), Olbia (2027), Palermo (2025), Palma de Mallorca (2022), Santiago de Compostela (2026), and Split (2026). Obviously, not everywhere will work. Just ask Tenerife South. United Will Get A Price Premium For Its Nonstop Flights Credit: Shutterstock In 2025, booking data via OAG shows that approximately 95,000 passengers flew between the US and LJU, which is Slovenia's only airport with scheduled passenger flights. That figure, while not much overall, was nearly twice the volume as between the US and Santiago de Compostela, to which United began flying this year. It was marginally lower than for Valencia, which will welcome the airline next year. As around 200,000 people from the US visited Slovenia, many must also have done so as part of a wider tour, perhaps from Italy or Austria. Nonetheless, United's new nonstop operation will easily grow local New York traffic by a third to a half. When all airlines, passengers, and cabins are included, the average base fare from EWR/JFK to LJU was $649 one-way last year (excluding taxes, add-ons, and any fuel surcharge). This compares favorably to some other tourist-driven destinations that United serves or will do so soon, such as Split ($512), Marseille ($526), and Catania ($609). United will obtain a price premium for its brand-new nonstop flights to LJU, just as it will for its other upcoming new routes.