United Airlines is simultaneously trimming its Canadian footprint and looking further afield, with CEO Scott Kirby publicly hinting at possible new routes to Central Asia. Airline Geeks broke this story through its own reporting, and the contrast between those two directions tells a clear story about where United sees its growth.
Kirby Raises Central Asia on the Cheeky Pint Podcast
Kirby discussed potential new destinations in an appearance on the Cheeky Pint podcast, touching on the prospect of United serving cities in Central Asia. No US airline currently flies to the region, making any entry a meaningful first.
The destinations under consideration include Almaty, Kazakhstan's most populous city and its primary international aviation hub, and Tashkent, the main international gateway for Uzbekistan. At present, Uzbekistan Airways is the only Central Asian carrier with US flights, operating a service between Tashkent and New York-JFK.
United's global network planning chief Patrick Quayle and his team have already visited both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, according to Airline Geeks. That kind of on-the-ground reconnaissance typically precedes a serious route evaluation, though it does not guarantee a launch.
Why Central Asia Is on United's Radar
Several factors appear to be shaping United's interest. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have each introduced visa liberalisation measures in recent years, reducing friction for American travellers. American arrivals in Uzbekistan climbed from around 17,000 in 2019 to over 26,000 in just the first seven months of 2026, a trajectory that suggests meaningful demand.
The routing challenge, however, is significant. Russia's ban on Western airlines, imposed early in the Russia-Ukraine war, prevents the most direct flight paths over Russian airspace and makes economics harder to stack up. United already navigates comparable constraints with its seasonal service to Nuuk, Greenland, so the carrier is not unfamiliar with routes that demand creative planning.
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United Airlines Cuts Five Canadian Routes in 2026
While Kirby looks east, United has been quietly reducing its Canadian presence. Simple Flying reports that the airline ended five nonstop routes to Canada across 2026.
Chicago O'Hare to Edmonton (YEG), where United was the sole operator, concluded in September 2026. The service had been operated on the Boeing 737-800. Dulles to Halifax (YHZ) also ended in September 2026; that route had been flown by Republic Airways on an Embraer E175.
Dulles to Calgary (YYC), operated by a mix of Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 with United again the sole operator, finished in September 2026 as well, and no flights are scheduled for summer 2027. Los Angeles to Toronto Pearson (YYZ), served by the MAX 9, ended in September 2026, with Air Canada and Porter Airlines continuing to cover the market.
Newark to Vancouver (YVR), flown with a mix of Boeing 737-900 and MAX 9 aircraft, was the last to go, ending in October 2026. Air Canada and JetBlue now operate that route, according to Simple Flying.
What United Is Keeping in Canada
The Canada pullback does not represent a full retreat. United's busiest Canada route, Newark to Toronto, has 47 weekly departures scheduled for November 2026, and Chicago O'Hare to Toronto carries 41 weekly United departures over the same period, Simple Flying notes.
The pattern that emerges is one of concentration rather than withdrawal. United appears to be focusing its Canadian capacity on the highest-volume markets while stepping back from routes where it was a marginal or sole player competing against geography as much as against rivals.
The Bottom Line
United Airlines is facing in two directions at once. On one side, a rationalisation of Canadian routes that removes services where demand or competitive positioning did not justify the cost. On the other, exploratory interest in Central Asia, a region with no current US airline presence, growing visitor numbers from America, and governments actively trying to attract international travellers.
The routing question over Russian airspace is the most concrete obstacle, and it is not a small one. Quayle's team visiting the region is a signal that United is taking the opportunity seriously, but the gap between a site visit and a scheduled flight is wide. Whether the demand curve and the network economics ultimately align will determine whether these hints become announcements.
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