United Airlines Cuts The Longest Transatlantic Boeing 757 Route

United Airlines will no longer fly between Newark and Stockholm. Inherited from Continental, the Star Alliance member’s seasonal service will not return in 2026. The airline has confirmed the route’s elimination on November 19.

This airport pair is somewhat more notable than others. Timed at up to 8h 45m, it was going to be the longest scheduled transatlantic Boeing 757 passenger operation. And while Russia’s Azur Air has a marginally longer winter 757 service between Moscow and the Maldives, United’s Swedish offering was down to be the world’s longest 757 operation next summer.

United Ends Flights From Newark To Sweden

Continental launched flights between Newark and Stockholm in 2005, which United subsequently took over. Both carriers exclusively deployed the 757. While United initially served Sweden’s capital on a year-round basis, albeit with fewer winter flights when demand was lower, it became seasonal.

According to Cirium Diio data, the last departure from Newark, United’s fourth-busiest hub by aircraft movements, was on August 31, 2025. The plan was to resume seasonal services on June 4, 2026, with the route ending barely two months later, on September 2. Despite consistently high loads, passenger traffic fell considerably from the shorter operating periods.

It was a bit of an anomaly in United’s network. It was the airline’s sole remaining route to Scandinavia, so its frames will no longer be seen in the region. It was somewhat of a leftover from when SAS was in Star Alliance, with this carrier’s shift to SkyTeam partly explaining United’s withdrawal.

United’s Remaining Transatlantic 757 Routes Next Summer

When writing on November 20, and subject to change, the carrier’s latest information indicates that United plans 14 757-operated routes to Europe in the peak of next summer. Compared to last summer, there will be no Stockholm service, and Newark-Brussels has lost 757 flights as that route has become all-widebody following its frequency being halved. United has also halved Newark-Edinburgh flights due to returning to Glasgow (this time on the 737 MAX 8).

Things can change very quickly. In early October, United planned the most 757 summer flights to Europe in nine years. No more. Despite adding a new route between Washington Dulles and Keflavik, the above changes mean its 757 flights in July 2026 have fallen by 12% year-over-year. It will now have no more than 15 daily departures.

United’s 757 offering to Europe will be as follows. Timed up to 8h 35m next summer, Malaga back to Newark and Edinburgh back to Chicago O’Hare will now be the carrier’s new joint-longest transatlantic services on the narrowbody equipment.

United Previously Had Even Longer 757 Flights

Analysis of United’s schedules since 2015 shows that it has had longer European 757 flights than Stockholm. For example, services from Barcelona and the now-closed Berlin Tegel back to Newark were timed at up to 9h 30m (!).

Hamburg back to New Jersey was up to 9h 15m, Madrid back to Newark was timed at 9h 10m, Amsterdam and Oslo back there were up to 9h, Paris CDG to Washington Dulles was up to 9h, etc. High loads and strong winds meant the 757s operating some of these long flights occasionally stopped to refuel.