United Airlines Launches Daily Chicago–Tokyo Narita & Seasonal SF–Sapporo Flights
UAL•United Airlines will start daily year-round Chicago O’Hare–Tokyo Narita service on October 24 and launch three-times-weekly winter seasonal nonstop flights from San Francisco to Sapporo from December 11 through March. These routes expand United’s Japan network to five airports and raise its transpacific departures to up to 13 daily flights.
1. Service Expansion Plans
United will launch daily year-round service between Chicago O’Hare and Tokyo-Narita starting October 24, and three-times-weekly winter seasonal nonstop flights between San Francisco and Sapporo from December 11 through March. These routes mark the first nonstop service from the continental U.S. to Sapporo and establish the only U.S. airline link between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita.
2. Operational Details
Both routes will be operated with Boeing Dreamliner aircraft—787-8 on Chicago–Narita and 787-9 on San Francisco–Sapporo—offering premium onboard experiences and seamless connections. Flights will integrate with United’s network of nearly 80 U.S. cities through major hubs, enhancing connectivity across the Asia-Pacific region.
3. Network Impact
With these additions, United will serve five Japanese airports—Sapporo, Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Haneda, Osaka and Nagoya—from its U.S. hubs, supporting up to 13 daily transpacific departures. This expansion reinforces United’s status as the largest U.S. carrier to Japan, having flown over 1.8 million passengers between the two countries in 2025.
