Earlier this week, United Airlines announced two new routes would be joining its network, one of which is the resumption of service from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT). The airline last served the route up until 2020, when it utilized the Boeing 777-200ER. This time, it will be operated by the airline’s 787-8, and becomes the longest city pair with the aircraft variant.

It is worth noting at the outset that United Airlines already operates between Chicago O’Hare and Tokyo Haneda Airport(HND); this route is to the second Tokyo airport, Narita, which is approximately 37 miles (60 km) from downtown Tokyo. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines also operate between O’Hare and Narita.

United’s Chicago To Tokyo Narita Route: 6,274 Miles From Point To Point

Credit: Boeing

The service covers a total distance of 6,274 miles (10,094 km) on a great circle basis. These flights will take off starting October 24 and operate daily. For travelers, the Tokyo-bound service is blocked at a total flight time of 13 hours and 35 minutes, the longest 787-8 flight in the UA network.

Credit: GCMap

Outbound flights depart late morning, for a mid-afternoon arrival in Narita, while return services are blocked at a total flight time of 11 hours, 50 minutes, departing in the early evening for a mid-afternoon arrival back in Chicago the same day. Full flight details below:

Tokyo Narita Surpasses Tel Aviv As The Airlines’ Longest 787-8 Service

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The introduction of Chicago to Narita services with the 787-8 surpasses the Star Alliance carriers’ current longest service with the aircraft variant, which is between O’Hare and the Israeli city of Tel Aviv . This service covers a total distance of 6,180 miles (9,943 km), just 94 miles (151 km) shorter than the airline’s route to Narita.

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United maintains the service to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) four times weekly, and up until October was the airlines longest 787-8 service. A top ten list of the airline’s longest 787-8 flights is detailed below as per data from Cirium between October 2026 and March 2027 – please note this list is subject to change:

For United, the new service to Tokyo Narita also marks the only service to Asia with the type in this analysis, while all others serve either Africa, Europe, or the Middle East. This is the 13th-longest 787-8 route for United of all time.

Another Nonstop Link To Tokyo Narita

Credit: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

United’s decision to return to Tokyo Narita from Chicago O’Hare complements the airline’s already large presence at the Japanese airport. The airline already maintains non-stop services from the United States from Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, and San Francisco.

Additionally, the airline operates from NRT to Cebu, Guam, Kaohsiung, Koror, and Saipan, with a seasonal route to Ulaanbaatar.

Credit: GCMap

United’s announcement that it was returning to Narita from Chicago came the same day as the airline announced plans to be the only US airline to fly to the Japanese region of Hokkaido, with a seasonal service across the Northern Hemisphere winter season from San Francisco to Sapporo from December 11. This route will be served thrice weekly with the carrier’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft. United becomes just the second North American airline to operate the route after Air Canada, which also commences its own service to Sapporo this December.