With crowds in many major cities pushing some to seek out smaller and off-main-track destinations, airlines have been quick to respond to the change with new routes to secondary European cities.
Before these flights were retired for the winter, Delta Air Lines ran seasonal flights from JFK to Sicily’s Catania and Detroit International Airport (DTW) to the Belgium’s Brussels while American Airlines launched new routes to Athens and Zürich from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Budapest and Prague from Philadelphia International (PHL).
Many of these routes are slated to resume for the summer of 2026 while United Airlines also announced a spate of new flights to United Airlines cities such as Bari, Glasgow, Santiago de Compostela and Split from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) that it will start on April 30, 2026.
The new United Airlines flight to Split marks a significant change in traveler trends
That latter is the second-largest city in Croatia and a common gateway for travelers exploring the Adriatic Coast and the Dalmatia region. The route that the airline first announced last October will be the first direct flight between the U.S. and Croatia run by an American airline and marks a significant shift in traveler interest given that the country is home to a population of just under four million people.
“Split offers travelers the ability to explore historic sites like the ancient Roman Diocletian’s Palace, the Cathedral of Saint Dominus – one of the oldest in the world – while also mixing adventure from Split’s promenade and harbor,” United wrote of the new destination.
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The flight will operate three times a week on a Boeing 767-300ER plane and take just over 10 hours in the eastward direction. As a seasonal route, it will also be retired in September 2026 once tourist numbers to Croatia start to come down from the peak summer travel period.
The United long-haul Boeing 767-300ER plane is equipped with 46 Polaris business class, 22 Premium Plus, 43 Economy Plus and 56 regular economy seats.
United Airlines announced a spate of new routes to various European cities for the summer of 2026.
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Other airlines also launch new flights to Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb
Other airlines have also been setting their sights on Croatia for the summer 2026 season. Last November, Air France announced that it will increase the frequency of its flights from Paris to the Croatian capital of Zagreb to a peak 10 a week between April and June while also adding one new flight to Dubrovnik.
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Last September, the chief executives of Air China and Hainan Airlines met with the head of the Croatian National Tourist Board in Beijing to discuss the potential of new direct flights from China to cities like Zagreb and Split.
National airline Croatia AIrlines also recently announced a summer 2026 expansion in which it will raise its total number of flights by 6% and launch new routes to European cities such as Nantes in France and Stuttgart in Germany for a total of 32 European destinations. During the peak summer period, Croatia Airlines will fly into Split Airport (SPU) from 20 European cities.
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