United Airlines Celebrates Newark Liberty Operational Turnaround, Plans for Growth and SAF Purchase
- Joe Breitfeller
- Sep 16
- 2 min read
Following challenges at Newark Liberty International Airport last spring, including air traffic control staffing, technology outages and runway construction, United is celebrating an operational turnaround at their premier East Coast hub.
On Tuesday (September 16, 2025), United Airlines celebrated an operational turnaround at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). During April and May, challenges associated with air traffic control staffing, technology outages and runway construction led to a large number of delays and cancelations out of Newark. Since that time, United had their best operational summer at EWR ever, delivering on-time performance on par with JFK and LGA. Today, United’s CEO Scott Kirby was in Newark (EWR) to celebrate the carrier’s operational turnaround, and to discuss future plans for United’s premier East Coast hub.
Speaking at Newark on Tuesday, United Airlines’ CEO, Scott Kirby, said,
“Newark is operating better than ever and United's future here is bright – that’s a credit to the thousands of Newark employees who deliver for our customers and one another every day. I want to also thank Secretary Duffy, FAA Administrator Bedford, Governor Murphy and all the national, state and local leaders who helped ensure that Newark remains a safe and reliable crown jewel for millions of domestic and international travelers. As the FAA and DOT implement their plan of increased staffing and improved technology, the reliability and on-time performance of Newark will only get better.”
This fall and winter, United will serve over 160 domestic and international destinations from Newark, more than any other airline in the New York City area. Internationally, this includes more flights to popular cities like Rome, Venice, Porto, Marrakesh and Dublin. Domestically, the carrier will also add flights to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, as well as to new cities including Palm Springs, Columbia SC, and Chattanooga, TN. Additionally, after a successful first season, service between Newark and Nuuk, Greenland will return for summer 2026.
Currently, United employs more than 14,000 team members in the Newark/New York City area, including over 3,000 pilots at their pilot base and more than 5,700 flight attendants. The company also expects to hire more than 2,500 Newark employees between 2025-2026.
United will also become the first airline to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for use at Newark, with plans to purchase up to one million gallons from Neste this year. During 2024, United purchased more than 13 million gallons of SAF in 2024, more than any other U.S. airline.
At United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL), ‘Good Leads the Way.’ As measured by available seat miles, United is the world’s largest airline, connecting passengers to more than 360 destinations, including 75 that no other U.S. airline serves. The carrier flies to over 225 U.S. cities, operating more than 4,000 domestic flights a day on average. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers.
Source: United Airlines
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