United Airlines is hoping to increase its footprint in Tokyo.
This week, the Chicago-based service filed an software with the U.S. Department of Transportation, asking for approval to fly day by day from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND).
United can be asking permission to fly from Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM) to Haneda as a part of the submitting.
If accepted, the service might start as quickly as Dec. 1, United says.
However, getting the sign-off for these routes is a bit sophisticated.
U.S. airways can function a restricted variety of flights to Haneda, which is ruled by slots. These use-it-or-lose-it flight guidelines have been largely placed on maintain because the pandemic however will once more be enforced beginning subsequent month.
To that finish, Delta Air Lines had deliberate to function nonstop service from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Haneda, however final week, it formally determined to scrap the proposed service, in accordance with the United submitting.
United additional argues Hawaiian Airlines is not utilizing all of its obtainable slots at Haneda and is asking the DOT to let it take over 5 of them — good for 5 weekly spherical journeys.
Hawaiian Airlines didn’t instantly reply to TPG’s request for remark.
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United’s proposed Tokyo routes
Houston to Tokyo
The new Tokyo routes United is proposing would function day by day on the next schedule:
- IAH-HND (UA7) — Depart Houston at 12:30 p.m. and arrive in Tokyo at 5:45 p.m. the following day
- HND-IAH (UA6) — Depart Tokyo at 7:40 p.m. and arrive in Houston at 4:30 p.m. the identical day
During the summer season months, the proposed routes would depart earlier within the day in every route.
It’s price noting that United already flies nonstop from Houston to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT). However, Haneda is commonly considered because the more handy airport for vacationers hoping to get into the town.
United’s associate, Tokyo-based All Nippon Airways, presently flies from Houston to Haneda.
United operates its present Houston-to-Tokyo (Narita) route aboard a Boeing 777-200ER.
Guam to Tokyo
United’s Guam-to-Tokyo proposal calls for 5 weekly spherical journeys working beneath the next schedule:
- GUA-HND (UA848) — Depart Guam at 7:10 p.m. and arrive in Tokyo at 10 p.m. the identical day
- HND-GUA (UA849) — Depart Tokyo at 11:55 p.m. and arrive in Guam at 4:40 a.m. the following day
United’s Pacific emphasis
If United is profitable in including a complete of 12 weekly spherical journeys to Haneda (seven from Houston and 5 from Guam), it will mark simply the most recent latest enlargement of its transpacific service.
In July, United introduced plans to be the primary U.S. service to fly to Manila, Philippines; it additionally introduced further routes to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei, Taiwan — all starting within the coming weeks.
That announcement got here on the heels of its largest-ever South Pacific enlargement introduced this spring. This will see United dramatically scale up its Australia and New Zealand service, together with providing a nonstop flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Christchurch International Airport (CHC) on New Zealand’s South Island.
As for Tokyo, United presently has nonstop service to Haneda from a number of different U.S. hubs, together with SFO, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Dulles International Airport (IAD), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and its residence base at O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
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