United Airlines intends to operate three-times-weekly direct flights between its San Francisco hub and Chengdu, China from 9 June next year, subject to government approval. Chengdu is the capital of the Sichuan province of Southwest China and also the country’s fourth largest city. Chengdu has a population of around 14 million in the urban area. It has become one of the country’s fastest-developing cities economically and more than 200 Fortune 500 companies have a presence in the city. Chengdu is also famous as the natural habitat of the giant panda.
Flying its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, United Airlines Chengdu flights will depart San Francisco at 1.35pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive at Chengdu’s Shuangliu International Airport at 6.5opm the following day. Flights from Chengdu will depart at 10am on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays and arrive at San Francisco International Airport at 8.50am the same day. It will take approximately 14 hours 15 minutes westbound and 13 hours 50 minutes eastbound. The direct flighs will shave off almost four hours off the typical travel time between the two cities.
Chengdu will be United’s ninth non-stop destination from San Francisco to the Asia Pacific region. The other Asia Pacific cities include Beijing, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo – Narita and Taipei (from March 2014). The airline operates more nonstop U.S. to China flights and to more cities in China than any other airline.
