SAN FRANCISCO, July 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today's departure of United's inaugural nonstop flight from San Francisco to Hangzhou, China, marks the airline's fifth city in mainland China and its 14^th destination in the Asia/Pacific region from United's premier West Coast gateway. San Francisco International Airport, United's Asia/Pacific hub, offers more nonstop trans-Pacific service to and from the United States than any other carrier hub.

Hangzhou, a center for technology, economic development, education and cultural heritage is the fifth new international route United has launched from San Francisco since May, joining Auckland, New Zealand; Singapore; Tel Aviv, Israel; and Xi'an, China.

"The Hangzhou service is a great addition to our growing portfolio of mainland China destinations, including three interior cities that no other airline serves from the United States," said Marcel Fuchs, United's vice president of Atlantic and Pacific sales. "This new route provides U.S. travelers with convenient access to one of China's most dynamic cities, while giving Chinese travelers direct access to United's premier San Francisco gateway with options for onward connections to our extensive network of service throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America." 

United will operate the three-times-weekly nonstop flights with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the world's most advanced passenger aircraft. 

The new Hangzhou flights complement United's existing services to Shanghai, located approximately 120 miles to the southwest and connected by high speed rail, giving customers more choice and convenience when visiting the region.

Hangzhou – China's Silicon Valley

Hangzhou, a city of nearly 9 million on China's southeastern coast, is one of the country's Seven Ancient Capitals and today boasts a vibrant and entrepreneurial business climate. Known as the "Silicon Valley in Paradise," Hangzhou has a growing reputation for innovation in technology and e-commerce, and is an important manufacturing and logistics base for coastal China.

Often called "Paradise on Earth," Hangzhou is also a city of legendary beauty, history and culture that attracts visitors from around the world. It is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites - West Lake and the Great Canal.

Hangzhou has been selected to host the 2016 G20 Summit in Sept.

Flight Schedule

UA 982 will depart San Francisco at 2:20 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive in Hangzhou at 6:10 p.m. the following day (all times local). Flight time will be 12 hours, 55 minutes westbound. The return flight, UA 983, will depart Hangzhou at 10:55 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and arrive at San Francisco at 7:50 a.m. the same days. Flight time will be 11 hours, 55 minutes eastbound.

Convenient Connecting Flights

United has timed the Hangzhou flights to connect conveniently at San Francisco with an extensive network of service throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America. United operates more than 250 flights daily from the San Francisco gateway to 90 destinations.

United in China

With 30 years of service to China, United operates more nonstop U.S.-China flights to more cities in China than any other U.S. airline: 

• Beijing - nonstop flights from Chicago, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington/Dulles;
• Shanghai - nonstop flights from Chicago, Guam, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and San Francisco;
• Chengdu - nonstop flights from San Francisco;
• Xi'an – nonstop seasonal flights from San FranciscoMay 8 to Oct. 27, 2016 (westbound);
• Hong Kong - nonstop flights from Chicago, Guam, Ho Chi Minh City, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Singapore.

United is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's largest and most comprehensive airline alliance, whose other members include Air China. United and Air China have a bilateral partnership that includes code-sharing on selected routes and provides customers of both carriers with additional travel benefits, such as airport lounge access and frequent flyer program reciprocity.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The 787 Dreamliner is revolutionizing the flying experience for United customers and crews while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions. Customers have expressed a preference for the 787 versus other aircraft, given its greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features.

The use of lightweight composites, together with its modern engines and improved aerodynamic design, allow it to fly farther, faster and more efficiently than similar-sized conventional aircraft. United currently has 30 787 Dreamliners in its fleet. Download a high-resolution photo of the United 787 at http://newsroom.united.com/Boeing787.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,000 flights a day to 336 airports across six continents. In 2015, United and United Express operated more than 1.5 million flights carrying more than 140 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates more than 715 mainline aircraft, and this year, the airline anticipates taking delivery of 21 new Boeing aircraft, including 737 NGs, 787s and 777s. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 192 countries via 28 member airlines. Approximately 86,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

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SOURCE United Airlines