United plans direct US-Slovenia flights next year

27. 8. 2026

Government Communication Office

Slovenia will be getting the first direct air link with the US in nearly four decades next year, as United Airlines, one of the biggest carriers in the world, has announced it will launch a four times weekly service between Ljubljana and Newark in May 2027.

The route to Newark Liberty International Airport, the second largest airport serving the New York metropolitan region, is part of what United Airlines said on 25 August was the largest expansion in its history.

In addition to Ljubljana, the carrier plans direct routes to Okinawa, Toulouse, Luxembourg, Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Terceira, Olbia and Catania.

The service will be operated with Boeing's 767-400ER aircraft, which typically have a three-class configuration with 231 seats in United's fleet.

The news marks the restoration of Transatlantic flights from Slovenia after a hiatus lasting nearly four decades: the last time Slovenia had a direct link with the US was in 1991, the year it gained independence.

The US is also Ljubljana's largest unserved country market, according to Ex-Yu Aviation, a regional portal specialising in air travel reporting. Based on indirect traffic, New York generates the highest demand, followed by San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Washington, Boston and Atlanta.

Indeed, according to Ex-Yu Aviation data, United Airlines is already among the most utilised carriers for travel between Slovenia and the US, with Lufthansa and United Airlines itineraries via Frankfurt and Munich particularly popular among Slovenian travellers.

The new connection is also expected to boost tourism numbers in Slovenia, which has seen an uptick in US visitor numbers in recent years: in the first seven months of the year, the number of American guests rose by nearly a quarter to over 133,000, according to Statistics Office data.

Source: The Slovenia Times