United’s New Ljubljana Flight Is Nonstop To Safe, Scenic Slovenia

Starting May 12, 2027, United Airlines will fly nonstop between Newark and Ljubljana four times a week, using a Boeing 767-400ER. It's one of 10 new international destinations United is adding as part of the largest overseas expansion in the airline's history, according to United .

Until now, reaching Ljubljana from the United States has meant at least one connection. My next trip there, coming up in mid-September 2026, will take me from Chicago to Zurich to Venice. My return trip flows from Zagreb to Zurich before coming home.

The route will reduce a longstanding access hurdle for travelers from the U.S., who have generally needed at least one connection to reach Ljubljana on scheduled commercial service.

Who is visiting Slovenia?

According to Slovenia's national tourist board , American visitors topped 200,000 in 2025, generating nearly 449,000 overnight stays. That's an increase of 11% from the year before for both of those metrics. That growth has picked up speed in 2026 as arrivals from the United States rose 23% in the first seven months of the year, with overnight stays up 21%.

Slovenian Tourist Board director Maja Pak Olaj in a release that the new route builds on a deliberate push into the U.S. market, including a 2024 Virtuoso Chairman's Event and an ongoing partnership with Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić, a Slovenian tourism ambassador. That connection got a boost this summer when Dončić's Lakers teammates visited the country at his invitation, a trip the board says produced more than 500 international media mentions and a combined social reach north of 40 million.

Slovenia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Labour and Sport, Anže Logar, said in a release that air connections function as "a gateway to the world" for both tourism and trade.

Why fly to Slovenia?

Rick Steves , whose public-television series has covered the country repeatedly, describes it as "the least visited and most underrated of Europe's alpine countries." His Slovenia coverage also emphasizes the country's unusual mix of Alpine scenery, Mediterranean coastline, Slavic culture and World War I history.

Slovenia is a small country with highlights including the alpine lake town of Bled, the wine hills of the Vipava Valley, the Adriatic coast around Piran and a walkable, café-lined capital in Ljubljana. Forbes has covered the country among the world's 10 safest countries per the Global Peace Index.

Slovenia is a green, boutique alternative to more crowded destinations, aimed at travelers who spend more and stay longer rather than those chasing the cheapest ticket. That's also consistent with broader patterns in where new U.S. routes are landing. Forbes recently rounded up other nonstop flights launching in the next couple of years, many aimed at similarly under-the-radar spots rather than the usual London-Paris-Rome circuit.

Slovenia's currency is the Euro, and while the official language is Slovenian, most people here also speak English.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com