United Continental Holdings has announced it will launch daily direct flights between Denver and Tokyo on March 31 next year, using its brand new Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The flight, Denver’s first non-stop connection to Asia, will depart the city at 1155 to touch down at Tokyo Narita International Airport at 1500 the following day, and the return leg will take off at 1640, arriving back in Denver at 1230.
According to a spokesperson from United, demand for travel between US and Japan “has grown steadily over the last 20 years.” This route, and others like it, can be launched now thanks to the Dreamliner’s range compared to those of other long-haul aircraft, such as the 777s. From Denver, which is one of United’s hubs, passengers can connect onwards to other North American destinations.
Initially, the carrier planned to deploy its first Dreamliner on the new Houston-Auckland route (see story here), however, it is now unclear when that route will be launched so the Tokyo-Denver route will be the maiden flight for the new aircraft.
The carrier is expected to receive its first Dreamliner later this year, making United the first North American carrier to operate the aircraft, although an exact delivery date has not been revealed. The aircraft will consist of 219 seats: 36 in business, 63 in premium economy and 120 in economy.
For more information, visit www.united.com
Alisha Haridasani
