United Airlines touched down in Santiago de Compostela for the first time on May 27, 2026, inaugurating the only direct air link ever to connect the United States with Galicia's pilgrimage capital. The carrier operates the route three times weekly from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, departing at 7:15 PM and arriving at Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ) at 8:15 AM the following morning local time. The westbound return (UA221) departs Santiago at 10:00 AM and arrives Newark at 11:50 AM, giving a maximum westbound block time of seven hours and 50 minutes, per Simple Flying.
The service is seasonal, running from the May 27 inaugural through September 20, 2026 — a total of 51 eastbound departures. United operates the route with a 166-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8 configured with 16 business-class and 150 economy seats (per aeroLOPA data cited by Simple Flying).
United first announced the route in October 2025, alongside new 2026 services to Bari, Split, and Glasgow. Aviation Week confirmed the launch in its rolling routes update for the week of May 25. In 2025, Santiago and its surrounding area generated approximately 53,000 round-trip passengers to and from the US, all of whom previously required a European connection to reach the region. The new nonstop targets leisure travelers, Camino de Santiago pilgrims, and cultural tourists visiting the city's UNESCO-listed medieval cathedral.
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Things to do at each end of the route
Top-rated tours & experiences in Newark and Santiago de Compostela.