US Airports with Direct Flights to Europe in Summer Peak

During the peak summer season, over forty airports in the United States offer direct flights to Europe. Among them, New York’s JFK airport stands out as the leading widebody airport, with 80% more flights compared to the second-ranked airport, Newark. However, Newark has the most extensive network of European destinations, making it the top airport for transatlantic travel.

Profitable Season for Airlines

According to data provided by Cirium Diio, most airlines in the US make significant profits in the third quarter, which runs from July to September. During this period, Newark airport will have flights to 40 European destinations, surpassing JFK by just one destination and claiming the top spot as the preferred airport for travelers heading to Europe.

Newark’s Extensive European Network

Photo: GCMap

Between July and September, Newark airport offers flights to Europe through various airlines, including Aer Lingus, Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, French bee, Icelandair, LOT Polish, La Compagnie, Lufthansa, SAS, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines. United Airlines accounts for 67% of departures, making it the primary European hub for the New Jersey airport. When including other Star Alliance members, this percentage increases to 82%.

New European Destinations Added in 2024

In the third quarter of 2024, Newark airport had flights to 37 European destinations. However, this number has increased to 40 with the addition of Bilbao, Faro, Funchal, and Palermo, which began operations on May 31, May 16, June 7, and May 21, respectively. It is worth noting that these destinations did not have previous connections to the US, and Bilbao and Palermo did not have any long-haul flights at all.

Top Destinations from Newark

Photo: Olivier Cabaret | Wikimedia Commons

On average, Newark airport offers 11 weekly departures to European destinations, with 31 of them having at least one daily departure and 15 having two daily departures. However, eight airports have more than twice daily departures, although this may be temporary.

London Heathrow is the most popular market, not just because of its frequency, but also because United Airlines exclusively operates seven daily services using its 167-seat Boeing 767-300ERs, making it the carrier’s lowest-capacity widebody. This configuration is used for six other European cities from Newark: Athens, Frankfurt, Geneva, Naples, Nice, and Zurich.

Top Destinations by Frequency

Newark to.

Number of Flights*

Nine daily

London Heathrow

British Airways (two daily 777-200ER, 787-10), United (seven daily 767-300ER)

Three daily

Dublin

Aer Lingus (daily A321LR), United (two