dailynewsnblog
United Airlines is set to add a sixth gateway to Japan, with Okinawa (OKA) to be linked with a seasonal service from 
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) beginning in March next year. The route will be served by the airline’s Boeing 777-200ER three times a week from March 27 through October. The announcement comes as United plans its largest-ever international expansion, including the first nonstop flights to Slovenia in Europe after three and a half decades.
The Chicago based airlines already offers more international services than any other US carrier, and its new route to Okinawa, a home of tropical islands famed for beautiful white-sand beaches, clear blue turquoise waters, and a unique cultural heritage.
Nonstop Flights To Okinawa From March
United’s service to Okinawa will be operated three times a week from March 27, with a 10:35 AM mid-morning departure from San Francisco on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The flight will cross the International Date Line, arriving in Okinawa the next day at 3:50 PM.
Return flights will then push back from Okinawa on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday in the early evening at 5:50 PM for the flight back to San Francisco, arriving the same day at 12:50 PM. This is the second time that United (and its subsidiaries) have served Okinawa, after Continental Airlines previously served Guam International Airport (GUM) to Okinawa up until 2000.
The new service will be complemented by the resumption of United also flying between 
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX) from March 27, with one daily Boeing 787-9 service. United also last served this route up until June 1999.
The Only North American Carrier Serving The Ryukyu Island Chain
United will proudly be the only carrier operating to Okinawa, part of the Ryukyu Island chain. No other North American airline serves this region of Japan, and the new route will become the airline’s sixth gateway in the North Asian country after:
Tokyo Haneda (HND) | Chicago–O’Hare, Guam, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles |
|---|---|
Tokyo Narita (NRT) | Cebu, Chicago–O’Hare, Denver, Guam, Houston–Intercontinental, Kaohsiung, Koror, Los Angeles, Newark, Saipan, San Francisco, Ulaanbaatar (seasonal) |
Osaka Kansai (KIX) | Guam, Los Angeles (from March), San Francisco |
Sapporo (CTS | San Francisco (seasonal from December) |
Nagoya (NGO) | Guam |
Okinawa (OKA) | San Francisco (seasonal) |
Okinawa is the sixth busiest airport in Japan and handles domestic flights to most of the country, while international flights serve Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and soon, the United States. Previously, travelers coming to Okinawa from North America have been forced to stopover in the likes of Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, or Seoul to reach this archipelago.
United’s Largest International Expansion Yet
The announcement that United will serve Okinawa comes at the same time as the 
Star Alliance carrier plans its largest-ever international expansion. The airline has announced that it will connect the United States to Okinawa, Toulouse, Luxembourg, Marseille, Ibiza, Valencia, Terceira, Ljubljana, Olbia, and Catania.
Part of the airline’s European expansion, on slimmer routes such as Luxembourg, Toulouse, Ibiza, Valencia, and Marseille, is thanks to the Airbus A321XLR, of which it has received its first of 50 it has on order with the European plane maker. This aircraft, which is a narrowbody plane with long-haul capabilities, is breaking down the barriers of routes which otherwise would have been financially unviable with a larger aircraft.
The full list of new routes announced are Los Angeles to Osaka, from March 27, San Francisco to Okinawa, March 27, Newark to Luxembourg, April 2, Washington, D.C. to Toulouse, April 26, Newark to Ljubljana, May 12, Newark to Olbia, May 27, Denver to Paris, May 27, Newark to Catania, May 28, Washington, D.C. to Milan, May 28, Newark to Ibiza, May 31, Newark to Valencia, June 2, Newark to Marseille, June 4, and Newark to Terceira, June 9.
As part of this announcement, United also confirmed it would resume its San Francisco to Tel Aviv service, which will operate from March 28 thrice weekly.
