United adds new Japan destinations from California in biggest global expansion yet

United is offering two new direct flights to two exciting Japanese destinations from Los Angeles and San Francisco as part of the largest global expansion in the airline’s 100-year history.

From March 2027, United will offer daily direct flights from Los Angeles LAX to Osaka, the first time an American airline has served the route.

The airline will also launch three flights a week between San Francisco’s SFO and the Japanese tropical island destination of Okinawa, running at this stage until October.

United will also offer three direct flights weekly from SFO to Sapporo, Hokkaido, for the December to March winter season – a nonstop service to an island renowned for its world-class powder skiing and snowboarding.

The carrier will also restart a three-times-a-week service from SFO to Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 28.

The flights have been suspended since the start of the conflict with Iran in February.

The new Japanese routes are part of a rollout of 13 new international routes to 10 destinations in France, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Italy, including eight cities that have never been serviced by US airlines.

One of the new routes is a nonstop daily service between Denver and Paris, starting in May, and three flights a week from Washington, D.C. to Milan, Italy.

The new routes to Japan come as interest in the Asian nation has exploded, partly on the back of the success of baseballers such as Dodgers star, Shohei Ohtani.

Here’s a rundown of the 10 new routes:

• Okinawa, Japan
• Sapporo, Japan
• Toulouse, France
• Luxembourg City
• Marseille, France
• Ibiza, Spain
• Valencia, Spain
• Terceira, Portugal
• Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Olbia (Sardinia), Italy
• Catania (Sicily), Italy

Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances, said the airline has added flights to nearly 60 new international cities in the last decade.

“When someone visits our website or app to start planning a trip, they’ll be amazed by where United can take them,” Quayle said.

“We aim to have a destination on our route map for every traveler, at every stage of their lives.”

“Whether it’s a business trip, a dream honeymoon, a bucket-list adventure, or a trip home to see family, we’re making the world feel smaller and connecting cultures at a scale no other airline in the world can match.”

“We offer the most flights across the Atlantic and Pacific and Newark is the best Atlantic gateway in the country – so far this year, it’s the most on-time airport in the New York City area,” said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines. 

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