United Adds New Service From San Francisco to Sapporo and Between Chicago and Tokyo Narita
- Joe Breitfeller
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
United Airlines has today announced an expansion of service to Japan with new seasonal service between San Francisco and Sapporo, as well exclusive direct service from Chicago to Tokyo-Narita.
On Thursday (May 14, 2026), United Airlines announced an expansion of their Japan network with the launch of new service to Sapporo and Tokyo-Narita for the winter 2026/27 season. The carrier will launch the first nonstop service from the continental U.S. to Sapporo, Japan and will be the only U.S. airline offering direct service between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita. As the leading U.S. carrier to Japan, these new flights will give North American travelers more ways to explore Japan and connect across Asia.
In Thursday’s announcement, United Airlines’ SVP – Network Planning and Global Alliances, Patrick Quayle, said,
“Whether customers are dreaming of skiing in Sapporo, planning a business trip to Tokyo with some exploration added in, or an even bigger adventure across Asia, United gives travelers more ways to get there than any U.S. airline. Our new nonstop service from San Francisco to Sapporo makes it easier to vacation in one of Japan’s most unique destinations, while our new Chicago to Tokyo-Narita service gives business and leisure travelers a premium onboard experience and the flexibility to continue their journey across Asia on United to exciting destinations like Cebu, Palau and Ulaanbaatar, or onward on our joint venture partner ANA to cities like Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.”
Starting December 11, 2026, United will launch three times weekly winter seasonal service between San Francisco (SFO) and Sapporo (CTS), marking the first nonstop flights between the continental U.S. and Sapporo. The route is scheduled to operate with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. United will connect travelers from nearly 80 U.S. cities to Sapporo through their premier Pacific gateway in San Francisco, making it easier than ever to reach this unique Japanese destination.
United will launch new daily year-round service between Chicago O'Hare and Tokyo-Narita starting October 24, 2026. United will be the only U.S. airline offering service between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita, further expanding their position as the only U.S. carrier offering direct service between Chicago and the Pacific region. The new service complements United’s existing service between Chicago and Tokyo-Haneda, providing travelers with even more ways to travel between the U.S. and Japan.
Additionally, the new Tokyo-Narita service unlocks seamless, one-stop connections for travelers to 21 destinations across Asia-Pacific on United or Joint Venture partner ANA. Customers will enjoy easy connections with United to cities like Cebu, Guam, Kaohsiung, Palau, Saipan and Ulaanbaatar. The new flights between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita are expected to operate on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
With the new routes, United will serve five airports in four Japanese cities from their hubs in the continental U.S. and Guam, including Sapporo (CTS), Tokyo-Narita (NRT), Tokyo-Haneda (HND), Osaka (KIX) and Nagoya (NGO). During 2025, United flew over 1.8 million passengers between the U.S. and Japan, more than all other U.S. carriers combined.
Source: United Airlines / PRNewswire
