Since 2019, pre-pandemic, the North American airline has almost doubled (98%) its capacity on flights to and from Portugal, with reservations for this year “in line with expectations”, said Darren Scott in a written interview with Lusa.

This data already includes the four new weekly connections that will begin on May 16 to and from Faro - New York/Newark.

Algarve bookings

Regarding the booking rate for flights to operate in the Algarve, the person in charge did not provide figures, only commenting that “bookings throughout the summer are in line with expectations”, not only for Faro, but also for the rest of the airports where it operates.

“United Airlines is proud to be the only airline directly connecting Faro, as well as Madeira Island, to the USA”, recalled the company’s director for the Atlantic/Hawaii, which last year was forced to postpone the start of operations in the Algarve due to a lack of aircraft.

In addition to Faro and Funchal (Madeira) airports, the airline has daily year-round flights from Lisbon to New York, as well as almost year-round daily service from Portela to Washington DC. Additionally, it also offers seasonal daily flights from Porto and Ponta Delgada (Azores) to New York/Newark.

Regarding the tourist profile for the Algarve operation, Darren Scott explained that there is an “excellent opportunity for synergies between Faro and the other services to Portugal, supporting, for example, tourists who visit several locations and take advantage of an “open jaw” itinerary, flying to Faro to visit the Algarve region and returning from Lisbon or Porto, for example”.

Expansion?

Asked if they are considering expanding flights from Portugal to other cities, in addition to New York and Washington DC, the executive said that “they continue to monitor demand and the ability to expand the breadth of service to Portugal from additional United hubs.”

“We are offering more flights between Portugal and the US than any other North American airline,” he added, noting that through United’s hubs, passengers can connect to more than 100 destinations in the North American market.

North American tourists have contributed to the growth of the sector in Portugal.

Last year, 5.1 million of the overnight stays by non-residents in Portugal were by tourists from the USA, which represents a growth of 12% compared to 2023 and around 9% of the total, which exceeded 56 million (+4.7%), according to data from INE.

The United Kingdom, with more than 10 million overnight stays, Germany, with 6.3 million, and Spain, with 5.4 million, occupied the Top 3.