United Airlines on Tuesday announced what they said is the airline's biggest expansion in the company's history, adding 10 new nonstop routes — most of them out of their Newark hub, but one is being added at SFO.

In a Tuesday announcement and press push, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby explained that, thanks in part to the FAA allowing more "slots" or takeoff and landing authorizations at Newark, and thanks to airline manufacturers catching up to a backlog of new plane orders, United is expanding its service to new destinations in Europe and Asia.

"We've been adding a lot of new cities each year in the past several years," Kirby said, speaking to CBS Mornings host Gayle King today. "It's more this year, partly because the aircraft manufacturers have caught up."

Among the 10 new international routes being added beginning in March 2027 will be three weekly nonstop flights from San Francisco to Okinawa — a tropical getaway spot that is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. According to the announcement, United will also be resuming its three weekly nonstop flights between SFO and Tel Aviv — the route has been suspended multiple times since October 2023 due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

The other nine additional routes being added are:

  • Washington Dulles (IAD) to Toulouse, France
  • Newark (EWR) to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
  • Newark (EWR) to Marseille, France
  • Newark (EWR) to Ibiza, Spain
  • Newark (EWR) to Valencia, Spain
  • Newark (EWR) to Terceira, Portugal
  • Newark (EWR) to Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Newark (EWR) to Olbia (Sardinia), Italy
  • Newark (EWR) to Catania (Sicily), Italy

Also, new daily nonstop service from LAX to Osaka, Japan is being added in March — with United becoming the only US carrier to serve Osaka from two continental US cities. Daily nonstop service from Denver to Paris will begin May 27. And while United is already the US carrier serving the most destinations in Italy, new thrice-weekly nonstop service is being added in May from Dulles to Milan.

The airline was also touting the launch of the new 'Born to Explore' Airbus A321XLR, a single-aisle aircraft with 20 closing-door Polaris suites, Starlink wi-fi, 4K OLED screens with Bluetooth connectivity, and a new snack bar in Economy. The new aircraft will serve Ibiza, Luxembourg, Marseille, Toulouse, and Valencia, among other destinations. The aircraft will begin serving some domestic routes starting next month, and transition to international routes beginning with two out of Dulles, to Amsterdam and Dublin.

"The creative and strategic way we've expanded our international network since the pandemic has made all the difference, not only for our customers and employees, but also as a way to differentiate United and build a brand focused on customers," said Kirby in an official statement.

Service in and out of SFO is also expected to improve after a change two weeks ago that allows for more closely spaced landings, following a change enforced by the FAA in March regarding the airport's longstanding practice of parallel landings on its two main runways — which led to widespread delays at the airport.