- United Airlines has selected Dublin and Amsterdam for its first A321XLR international flights.
- The service from Dublin to Washington Dulles begins on 2 December 2026.
- The A321XLR features a new Polaris suite and Economy Plus seats with an open middle seat.
- United has announced 10 new international cities as part of its largest network expansion.
- The airline will serve more destinations in Japan, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France than any other U.S. carrier.
Aviation industry sources have been reacting to United Airlines announcement that Dublin and Amsterdam will be the first two cities to receive service from the airline’s new Airbus A321XLR ‘Born to Explore’ aircraft, first reported by Travel Extra.
Starting today, travellers can book seats on the aircraft’s first international flights: UA229 from Dublin to Washington Dulles (IAD) and UA947 from Amsterdam to Washington Dulles (IAD), for flights scheduled from 2 December 2026. The new single-aisle aircraft features a United Polaris suite with a privacy door, free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members, 4K OLED screens with Bluetooth connectivity, and a snack bar in United Economy.
The airline expects to be the only major U.S. carrier offering new Economy Plus seats with extra elbow room and access to a shared table across an open middle seat. United’s ‘Born to Explore’ A321XLR will support the airline’s largest international network expansion in company history, with 10 new international cities and three new routes across Europe and Asia. Starting as early as March 2027, the airline will fly to 10 new international cities, including eight no other U.S. airline serves, across Europe and Asia.
The new destinations include San Francisco to Okinawa, Japan; Washington Dulles to Toulouse, France; Newark/New York to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Marseille, France; Ibiza, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Terceira, Portugal; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Olbia (Sardinia), Italy; and Catania (Sicily), Italy. Beyond the 10 new cities, United also plans to add new flights from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan; Washington, D.C. to Milan, Italy; Denver to Paris; and plans to resume flights from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, Israel. The airline will serve more destinations in Japan, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France than any other U.S. carrier.
Leon Goldberg shared, “Bringing our A321XLR to Amsterdam and Dublin marks an exciting milestone across the Atlantic for United’s global route network.”
Eoin McGloughlin, VP Aviation Business Development, Dublin Airport shared “We are delighted to see United Airlines deploy its state-of-the-art Airbus A321XLR on services between Dublin and the United States. his investment reflects the strength of the Dublin region and the enduring demand for transatlantic travel. The A321XLR brings greater efficiency, enhanced passenger comfort and increased flexibility for airlines, and we are proud that Dublin has been selected as one of the first destinations to welcome this next-generation aircraft. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with United Airlines as we expand connectivity between Ireland and North America.”
