United Airlines has inaugurated flights between Newark and Split, marking the latter’s first scheduled transatlantic and long-haul service. Operations between the two will be maintained seasonally, three times per week, until September 6 with the Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. It will complement the existing daily seasonal flights between Newark and Dubrovnik, also operated by United. “We’re constantly monitoring the data. The flight to Dubrovnik was very successful, and I personally visited Croatia, drove to Split and was amazed by the beauty of the coast. By adding Split to Dubrovnik, we’re giving passengers the opportunity to fly into one city and fly out of another, and see more of Croatia”, Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United said.
Split – New York is the third busiest unserved route between Croatia and the United States based on indirect traffic flows, behind only Zagreb – New York and Zagreb – Chicago. However, it generates more demand than the subsequent Zagreb – Los Angeles, Dubrovnik – Chicago, and Zagreb – San Francisco routes. Together with United’s existing Newark – Dubrovnik service, the carrier will operate ten weekly flights between the US and Croatia, offering 2.118 seats per week in each direction. It will boast 18.704 seats in total (both directions included) between Newark and Split this season. Last year, the US carrier handled 60.900 passengers on its Dubrovnik service, for an average cabin load factor of 80.9%.
The Star Alliance member is utilising its low-density B767-300ER on the Split route with just 167 seats, tailored for high-yield markets. It is the same layout used on premium routes such as from Newark to Zurich, Geneva, Nice and London Heathrow, with 46 seats in business class, 22 in premium economy and 99 in economy. The inaugural flight from Newark to Split was almost full.
The route will run with some payload restrictions and will not carry cargo,
with exception to passenger bags, due to the runway length in Split, which
could prove challenging for takeoff during hot summer days.
The Croatian National Tourist Board believes the demand warrants additional new routes between Croatia and the US. The Director for North America at the Croatian National Tourist Board, Leila Krešić-Jurić, said, “When I took on this role, Dubrovnik was only just getting started, and the idea of adding another destination felt more like wishful thinking. I reached out to Mr Quayle, and I am grateful he was open to the conversation. I firmly believe we will secure one or two additional destinations in the future”. The Croatian National Tourist Board is targeting a new service to Zagreb, while United recently held discussions with Zadar Airport in New York, with both sides exploring potential opportunities for future cooperation. The US is Croatia’s largest long-haul market and generates the highest volume of visitor traffic from distant regions. In 2025, Croatia recorded over 850.000 arrivals from the US and 2.4 million overnight stays, which is an increase of 9% and 10%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
