The major American airline United Airlines (UA) has announced that it will end its flights between Tenerife and New York in April 2025, a route which had been extended to a year-round service this year to make it convenient for travellers to visit one of Spain’s most sought-after locations.
However, low passenger figures, especially during the summer, have prompted its re-evaluation.
The direct transatlantic flight operates between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Tenerife South (TFS). It was launched as part of United’s expanding European and leisure destination network and it reduced travel time considerably compared to having to get connecting flights through European hubs. The all-year-round schedule began operations on June 1, marking the third consecutive year of direct flights.
At the time, Antonio de Toro, UA’s head of sales in Spain said: “As the only airline connecting North America with the Canary Islands, we are delighted to return to Tenerife with a significantly extended service that now includes the winter season, offering our customers on both sides of the Atlantic even greater travel choice.”
In 2023, Tenerife welcomed over 36,500 American visitors, a significant increase, of nearly 38 percent, from 26,500 in 2022.
UA currently operates three weekly flights using a Boeing 757-200 aircraft which houses 176 seats.
A spokesperson for United Airlines said: “United regularly adjusts its schedule for a variety of reasons including demand, the broader needs of our network and other factors.”
Recent data shared by Enilria indicates that Tenerife ranked among UA’s worst-performing international routes from Newark in June.
The service between Newark/New York (EWR) and Tenerife, Spain (TFS) will end for the season on April 30th, 2025, but Canarian Weekly reports plans to resume service in late 2025 for the winter season.
This was not the only flight to be culled. The Washington DC (IAD) to Amman (AMM), Jordan route has also been removed, but this has not come as such a surprise to aviators.
This route was only launched in 2022, as part of UA’s post-pandemic expansion efforts. However, it was previously suspended due to regional conflicts near Israel, coupled with depressed demand and persistent safety concerns, and has now been permanently cancelled.
The decision marks a complete withdrawal from the market, with the last flight said to have occurred in mid-August, Aviation A2Z argued.