United Airlines Announces Major International Expansion From San Francisco

Image: PHOTO: United Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (photo courtesy of United Airlines)
Image: PHOTO: United Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (photo courtesy of United Airlines)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 2:40 PM ET, Wed December 12, 2018

United Airlines announced its largest ever international network expansion from its hub at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday.

Starting next year, the Chicago-based carrier will offer nonstop year-round service to Toronto and Melbourne, Australia as well as seasonal service to New Delhi, India.

United will also launch a second daily flight between San Francisco and Seoul, South Korea. What's more, 2019 will see the carrier begin new year-round nonstop service between San Francisco and Auckland, New Zealand, Tahiti, French Polynesia and Amsterdam.

Subject to government approvals, United's new twice-daily nonstop year-round service between San Francisco and Toronto is scheduled to begin March 31, 2019, while the carrier's new nonstop year-round service between San Francisco and Melbourne three times per week is slated to start October 29, 2019. United's new seasonal service between San Francisco and New Delhi will begin December 5, 2019.

Beginning March 30, 2019, United will become the first U.S. carrier to fly between California and Amsterdam. Two days later on April 1, 2019, the airline will begin operating a second daily flight between San Francisco and Seoul.

Finally, the airline's year-round service between San Francisco and Papeete, Tahiti on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and year-round service between San Francisco and Auckland three-times-weekly begins March 30, 2019.

"This route expansion solidifies United's position at San Francisco as the gateway airline serving destinations across the Pacific, the continental United States, as well as to Europe and beyond," said the airline's CEO Oscar Munoz in a statement. "It serves as a fitting capstone to all our efforts that made 2018 a breakthrough year for United, from delivering strong financial performance to currently leading in on-time departures for the second year in a row."

In her own statement, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein said the "new routes will expand international travel to and from San Francisco International Airport, helping us forge stronger connections between our city and other major destinations around the globe."

United has added a dozen new international destinations from San Francisco since 2013, serving 29 international destinations total and operating more than 300 daily flights in all.

Wednesday's announcement comes just two days after Delta Air Lines announced significant expansion from Boston's Logan International Airport.


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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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