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United Airlines Cuts European Routes Amid Expansion
21 Nov
Summary
- United Airlines is discontinuing flights to Dakar and Stockholm.
- New summer routes to Croatia, Italy, and Spain are being added.
- Low passenger numbers impacted the profitability of the canceled routes.
United Airlines, a major U.S. carrier, is adjusting its international network by discontinuing two European routes while launching new ones. The flights to Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, and Stockholm Arlanda in Sweden are no longer listed for booking past March 2026. This comes as United enhances its summer 2026 schedule with new direct services to Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain, from Newark.
The withdrawal from Dakar and Stockholm appears to be a strategic move driven by operational realities. Flight traffic data suggests that these routes struggled to attract enough passengers to ensure long-term profitability, despite initial demand. The Dakar route, launched just recently in May 2025, aimed to capitalize on the growing interest in Africa from the African diaspora and tourists.
While United has not made a formal announcement regarding the route cancellations, the absence from the 2026 schedule indicates a clear shift. This recalibration of international services highlights the airline's focus on optimizing its network for sustained success, balancing ambitious expansion with pragmatic route management based on performance metrics.
