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United Airlines reactivates the Nice–Washington route in summer 2026

washington nice french riviera nice 2026

Resumption of a seasonal nonstop flight between Washington and Nice
United Airlines will relaunch in summer 2026 its direct service between Nice Côte d’Azur and Washington Dulles. The route was initially inaugurated in May 2025. It will return with four weekly frequencies.

United as the sole airline on the Nice–Washington axis.
In summer 2026, United will be the only operator offering a nonstop flight between Nice and Washington. This exclusivity covers the May–September period. The service strengthens the French Riviera’s direct connectivity with the United States.

Rising transatlantic capacity from Nice. With the return of the Washington–Nice route, combined with the daily seasonal service to New York/Newark, United announces a +33% increase in seats between Nice and the United States compared with 2024. This increase follows a +44% rise in traffic between Nice and the United States observed in summer 2024. Connections via hubs provide access to more than 90 destinations across the American continent.

A 2025 performance driven by international and long-haul traffic. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport welcomed 15.23 million commercial passengers in 2025 (+3.2%). Commercial aircraft movements increased more moderately (+1.9%). Regular long-haul passenger traffic grew by +5.8% in 2025, in a context of rising international traffic (+4.7%).

A relaunched route strengthening direct access to the U.S. federal capital

The direct link between Nice Côte d’Azur and Washington Dulles will return in summer 2026. United Airlines has confirmed the resumption of this seasonal transatlantic service, operated four times per week, following an initial launch in May 2025. The route is structuring in two respects: it creates direct access between the French Riviera and the U.S. federal capital, and it places United as the sole operator on this axis during the 2026 summer season.

The announced service is based on a May–September schedule, with flights operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, using Boeing 767-300 aircraft. The published elements also highlight a logic of optimized connections: the service is designed to allow, via the Washington Dulles hub, connections to a broader network. United emphasizes access to more than 90 destinations across the American continent through its hubs. (Air Journal; Le Figaro; La Quotidienne)

United capacity increasing between Nice and the United States

The return of Nice–Washington adds to another component of United’s transatlantic offering from Nice: the daily seasonal Nice–New York/Newark flight. In this configuration, the airline announces for 2026 an increase of more than 33% in seats between Nice and the United States compared with 2024. This level of growth is presented as consistent with recent dynamics: traffic between Nice and the United States had increased by more than 44% in summer 2024.

The information is mainly notable for its combined nature: the reinforcement is based on two complementary routes—Washington and New York/Newark—broadening options for direct access and onward connections.

A route consistent with Nice Côte d’Azur Airport’s 2025 results

The relaunch of the route comes as Nice Côte d’Azur Airport communicated, on January 12, 2026, its 2025 results. These show record traffic: 15.23 million commercial passengers in 2025, i.e. +3.2% compared with 2024. The increase in commercial aircraft movements was more limited (+1.9%, to 163,052), reflecting a combined effect of load factors and aircraft capacity.

Growth was driven by international traffic (+4.7%). The report also highlights a key point for analyzing the transatlantic axis: regular long-haul passenger traffic increased by +5.8% in 2025. This growth was notably supported by the opening of a route to Washington in summer. In this context, the resumption announced for summer 2026 fits into a factual continuity: long-haul traffic appears as one of the drivers of the platform’s growth.

A marker of international connectivity for the French Riviera

The relaunch of Nice–Washington fulfills three functions: ensuring a seasonal nonstop service, establishing an operator exclusivity on the route, and strengthening seat capacity to the United States, at a time when long-haul traffic is increasing in Nice. From an attractiveness perspective, these parameters first and foremost reflect an operational reality: the availability of direct links to major hubs conditions the fluidity of economic, institutional, and tourism exchanges.