SAN FRANCISCO – United Airlines is now flying the longest flight operated by any U.S. airline and the longest in the world to be flown on a Boeing 787 “Dreamliner.”
United took those titles Wednesday evening as it launched nonstop service to Singapore from its hub in San Francisco. The 8,446-mile flight – the first-ever regularly scheduled service to connect those cities nonstop – is the third-longest flight by distance of any carrier in the world, according to airline data provider OAG.
United Flight 1 – the westbound flight from San Francisco to Singapore – has a scheduled flying time of 16 hours, 20 minutes. The return – United Flight 2 – is scheduled for 15 hours, 30 minutes.
“This is a special time for all of us at United,” Jim Compton – United’s chief revenue officer – said during a gateside ceremony for the inaugural S.F.-Singapore flight. “By using this flight, our customers are going to save up to four hours compared to connecting options on other airlines.”
Additionally, Compton said the new San Francisco route adds a one-stop option to Singapore from 26 U.S. cities that previously required two or more stops to get to that city.
