United Airlines has ambitious plans for the near future. However, judging by the big proportions of this new strategy, their plan might hurt the brand a lot if it backfires. This fresh approach concerns a distance of 8,700 miles between Los Angeles and Singapore. The company plans to turn this destination into the longest nonstop route which would likely last for 18 hours.
The Longest Nonstop Route Will Begin October 27
On Thursday, United Airlines announced that the company intends to organize what’s probably the longest nonstop route in America. However, the carrier needs governmental approval to put this new idea into practice. In case authorities give green light to this project, the route will become available as soon as October 27.
The company chose the Boeing 787-9 variant to support the stress of such a long-haul journey. The aircraft has a capacity of 280 passengers and comes with 8,700 statute miles which is at the limit for the longest nonstop route.
United vice president of the international network, Patrick Quayle, stated that the company received many requests for such an ambitious project from clients. Moreover, the national data are also making a case for this plan. On June 1, 2016, United started off its first such service with a nonstop San Francisco – Singapore route. Since then, around 70% of U.S. air traffic is generated by this long-haul journey. Therefore, the second project of even a more imposing magnitude would have high chances to become successful.
The New United Service Addresses Mostly to Business Persons
The longest nonstop route addresses mostly to business persons who are flying mostly on professional interests. Since Singapore turned into a powerful global economy, the U.S. companies tied many relationships with this part of the world. Moreover, passengers have the option to extend their trip beyond Singapore. They can book tickets with Singapore Airlines, which is a Star Alliance member as well.
According to OAG, the top three longest flights are currently not in the U.S. These are 9,026-mile Doha-Auckland flight courtesy of Qatar, 8,819-mile Dubai-Auckland courtesy of Emirates, and 8,576-mile Sydney-Dallas flight courtesy of Qantas. The United’s San Francisco-Singapore course comes in fourth place with 8,435 miles.
Image source: 1
Share this:
