United Airlines To Start Non-Stop Flight Service To Auckland

United Airlines, a unit of United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL) , has launched a new non-stop flight service connecting San Francisco and Auckland. Three United flights to Auckland will take off each week from San Francisco International Airport till Oct 30. From Nov 1 the airline will operate daily flights to Auckland.

The new service will mark the inauguration of United Airlines’ joint venture with Air New Zealand and displays the efforts of both airlines to strengthen their Star Alliance relationship. San Francisco is an integral point for United Airlines as the company operates flights to around 90 destinations from there.

Attractive Features of the New Flight Service

Auckland is a popular tourist destination with enticing features such as pristine sea views of Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean, beaches and snow-capped mountains. The city has also carved a name for itself in adventure tourism for hikers and trekkers. Thus, the growing popularity of Auckland and New Zealand overall is expected to benefit United Airlines’ plan to operate new flights on this route.

The new flight service will be operated through a Boeing (NYSE:BA) 787-8 aircraft. The airplane has been built using lightweight composites, has state-of-art engines and enhanced aerodynamic design which enables a faster flight over longer distances. This is a part of the company’s relationship with the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE) in accordance with which air traffic providers will provide optimal routes post departure and ground crew members will support to quicken the boarding procedure. This is an effort by United Airlines to reduce carbon footprint.

New Services By U.S. Airlines

Auckland is one of five new international destinations being added to United Airlines’ San Francisco operations. The airline has added new destinations such as Tel Aviv, Xi’an China, and Singapore. Flights to Hangzhou, China are expected to start on Jul 13 this year.

Apart form United Airlines, several other U.S. airlines too have introduced new routes. American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) recently launched a non-stop flight service between Auckland and Los Angeles with weekly capacity of almost 1600 seats. Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) has planned a New York-Glasgow route that will be launched in Mar 2017 while Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) has introduced non-stop flights between Oakland and Long Beach.