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A United Airlines plane on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
United Airlines On Tuesday, it outlined another expansion of Asia flights in the coming months, as part of its effort to capitalize on a boom in long-haul international travel that has helped return airlines to profitability after the Covid-19 pandemic.
International travel bookings have soared this year, airline executives said, as travelers seek long-haul flights they’ve been putting off during the pandemic amid a web of travel restrictions and concerns about the virus. Airlines have been ramping up their schedules in response.
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“Overall, the Pacific Ocean is as strong, if not stronger, than the Atlantic Ocean today,” Patrick Coyle, United’s vice president of global network planning and alliances, told reporters. United announced new flights to New Zealand and Australia in April.
Starting October 29, United will fly daily nonstop flights between San Francisco and Manila, becoming the only US carrier to offer nonstop service to the Philippine capital from the continental US, and will use its largest aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER for the road.
The carrier will also add a second nonstop flight between San Francisco and Taipei, Taiwan, also starting Oct. 29, and plans to resume service to Tokyo Narita International Airport from Los Angeles in addition to flights between Los Angeles and the city-focused city. Haneda International Airport.
Coyle said demand for Tokyo flights has been high since Japan lifted travel restrictions earlier this year.
Serving China is still a challenge
There are still restrictions on United’s growth in China, incl Russian airspace restrictions. As a result, United will not resume other routes such as Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Hong Kong, Coyle said. The airline will offer flights from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, however, and will bring its daily nonstop service to Hong Kong to three flights per day including flights from San Francisco.
He said United and other airlines are in contact with the US government about negotiations with their Chinese counterparts on adding return service.
There are 312 scheduled flights between the United States and China between June and the end of August this year, down from more than 4,800 flights in 2019, according to flight data firm Cirium.
A spokeswoman said United’s transpacific flights will be flat by next winter compared to 2019, but will be about 40% larger when the Chinese service is cancelled.
International in Newark
United are weighing schedule cuts at their Newark hub as they grapple with foul summer weather, congestion and a shortage of air traffic controllers in the area. However, Coyle said it would not affect the international service.
“Our goal is to operate a consistent, dependable operation globally out of Newark,” he said. “We’re not going to back down from international football, but we’re obviously going to make some changes.”
United is set to report quarterly results after the market closes on Wednesday. The executives will likely outline the changes they’re considering in Newark during a conference call Thursday morning at 10:30 ET.
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