United Airlines will add eight new destinations to its network in what it says is its largest international expansion in history, the airline announced on October 10, 2024. Among those will be Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia and Kaohsiung in Taiwan, both of which will be served from Tokyo Narita. Separately, the airline will also launch Narita – Koror.
“These new flights will seamlessly connect in Tokyo to United’s transpacific services to five hub locations in the continental United States,” said the airline.
While detailed schedules including the number of weekly flights have not been released for any of the fifth freedom routes yet, United plans to launch all three during the 2025 summer schedule. The flights are likely to be operated using Boeing 737-800s, which United operates with 166 seats including 16 in business and 150 in economy class.
Narita – Ulaanbaatar, which will launch on May 1, 2025, will be a seasonal service only operating only during the summer season. It is not clear whether it will operate until the end of the summer schedule (i.e., late October) or only during the busier months of the season. United will operate the route alongside MIAT Mongolian Airlines and Aero Mongolia. However, it will be the first airline belonging to a major alliance connecting the two cities non-stop.
United will launch the Narita – Kaohsiung route on July 11, 2024. According to the airline’s statement, “United’s new year-round service from Tokyo/Narita will provide an easy one-stop option for American travelers looking to visit the city, and complements the airline’s twice-daily, nonstop service between San Francisco-Taipei.” The route is already operated by China Airlines, EVA Air, Tigerair Taiwan, and Thai AirAsia.
The exact launch date of the Narita – Koror service, which will be year-round, was not announced yet. Currently, no airline connects Tokyo and the city in Palau non-stop.
The three routes will follow United’s Narita – Cebu route, set to launch late this month, expanding the airline’s use of Tokyo Narita as the hub for its Asia-Pacific network.
