United Airlines will launch two routes to Japan for the 2025-2026 northern hemisphere winter season, including adding Sapporo to its network.
From Dec. 11, Chicago-based United will begin flying between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and New Chitose Airport (CTS), which serves the Sapporo metropolitan area. SFO-CTS flights will be operated three-times-weekly on a seasonal basis with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
The route will be the only service connecting CTS to North America nonstop. Hawaiian Airlines serves CTS from Honolulu.
United will also open service between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) from Oct. 24. The route will be operated daily year-round with a Boeing 787-8.
The carrier will compete with both All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) on the ORD-NRT route. For the week of Oct. 25, when United’s service kicks off, ANA is scheduled to operate 2,968 weekly two-way seats on the route, while JAL will offer 3,416 two-way weekly seats between ORD and NRT, according to OAG Schedules Analyzer data.
United already flies between ORD and Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), a route on which it currently operates 4,452 two-way weekly seats. The U.S. carrier also competes with both ANA and JAL on ORD-HND service.
In addition to the two Tokyo airports and new destination CTS, United serves Japanese cities Nagoya and Osaka.
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