United Airlines will launch a direct service between Newark and Ljubljana from May 12, 2027, giving Slovenia its first non-stop link to the United States in decades and removing a long-standing barrier to its most valuable long-haul market, the airline said on August 25.
The route, operating four times a week on a wide-body Boeing 767-400ER, is one of 10 new destinations United is adding in what it calls the largest international network expansion in its history, and lands as US arrivals to Slovenia climb sharply from a high-spending, out-of-season traveller base that aligns closely with the country’s push towards higher-value tourism. United will be the only US carrier flying non-stop to the Slovenian capital.
“A direct air connection with the United States is an exceptionally important development for Slovenian tourism. It comes at a time when we are seeing very strong growth in interest in Slovenia on the US market,” said Maja Pak Olaj, director of the Slovenian Tourist Board.
More than 200,000 US visitors travelled to Slovenia in 2025, generating almost 449,000 overnight stays, with both arrivals and overnight stays up 11% year on year, according to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Growth has accelerated this year, with US arrivals up 23% in the first seven months and overnight stays up 21%.
Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Labour and Sport Anže Logar said the link would support economic cooperation beyond tourism.
“Better air connectivity makes it easier for Slovenian companies to do business, encourages foreign investment, strengthens tourism flows and enables Slovenia to integrate more effectively into global economic networks,” he said.
The Slovenian Tourist Board has spent recent years building visibility in the US market, including hosting the Virtuoso Chairman’s Event in late 2024 and working with basketball star Luka Dončić as a tourism ambassador. A recent visit to Slovenia by the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, at Dončić’s invitation, generated more than 500 international media reports and a combined social-media reach exceeding 40mn.
Slovenia has competed for US visitors while requiring a change at Frankfurt, Munich or another hub, a friction that quietly pushed American planners towards neighbouring destinations with direct lift.