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Slovenia will receive a direct air connection with the United States from May 2027.
United Airlines has announced a new route between New York/Newark and Ljubljana, which will operate four times a week, which represents an important step forward not only for Slovenia's air connectivity but also for its position in the American tourism market.
According to the official announcement from United Airlines, the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) - Ljubljana (LJU) route begins operations 12. May 2027., and the flights will be operated by plane Boeing 767-400ER. Ljubljana is one of ten new international destinations that United is introducing as part of, as the company states, the largest international network expansion in its history.
In 2027, United will open new routes to destinations in Europe and Asia, including Ljubljana, Okinawa, Toulouse, Luxembourg, Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Terceira, Olbia and Catania. The company states that in the last ten years it has added almost 60 new destinations to its international network and today it flies to more than 160 international destinations.
It is particularly important that United designates Ljubljana as a destination to which it will be the only American airline with a direct flight from the USA. Tickets for the new lines went on sale on the day of the announcement, while their launch is still subject to the necessary regulatory approvals.
For Slovenian tourism, this is much more than a new airline
The new connection is particularly significant from the perspective of Slovenian tourism because it removes one of the biggest obstacles to attracting guests from distant markets: the need to make transfers at European air hubs.
Director of the Slovenian Tourist Organization Maja Pak she assessed the announcement as an important turning point for Slovenian tourism and the international connection of the country.
"This is much more than a new airline. It is an important recognition of Slovenia's growing visibility and attractiveness in the United States, but also the result of years of systematic work to strengthen our position in this important long-haul market.", said Pak.
The Slovenian Tourist Board has been continuously working on the American market in recent years, positioning Slovenia as a green and boutique destination intended for guests seeking authentic experiences, nature, culture, gastronomy, active holidays and business trips.
According to Pak, the direct connection will make Slovenia significantly more accessible to American travelers and open up new business opportunities for destinations and tourism entities across the country. At the same time, the new route fits into the strategic goal of Slovenian tourism to attract guests who stay longer, explore more of the country and travel outside the main summer season.
As Maja Pak Olaj concluded, it is about ""an important new page in connecting Slovenia with the world".
And perhaps an even more important change for Slovenian tourism: a destination that has been trying to position itself for years as a small, green and boutique European country will, from May 2027, be just one direct flight away from one of the world's largest emission markets.
This is one of the most important elements of this news. Direct air connectivity affects not only the number of potential guests but also the structure of demand. Long-haul markets generally require longer travel planning, and a direct flight makes a destination more competitive when a guest is choosing between multiple European options.
It is also important for Ljubljana the choice of an American starting point.
Newark is one of United's key US hubs and the center of much of its transatlantic network. This means that the new line is not only relevant for the New York area, but through United's domestic network it enables connecting passengers from numerous other American cities to Ljubljana.
United is strongly positioning Newark as its main Atlantic entry point. A large portion of the new European destinations announced for 2027 will depart from Newark, including Luxembourg, Ljubljana, Olbia, Catania, Ibiza, Valencia, Marseille and Terceira.
Such network logic is particularly interesting for smaller European destinations. They can hardly develop a large number of direct intercontinental routes, but connecting to a large American hub opens up access to a much wider originating market than the city from which the flight departs.
United continues with Split
United's announcement is also interesting from a Croatian perspective.
The American carrier confirmed in the same statement that it will re-establish the destinations it introduced during the summer of 2026 during the 2027 summer season, including Split.
United already has a strong presence in the Croatian market: it connects Newark and Dubrovnik seasonally, while in 2026 it introduced a direct route to Split, whose return has already been confirmed for the summer of 2027. Unfortunately, Zagreb is not yet part of United's transatlantic network.
