Where Do United Airlines’ Longest Routes Go?

United Airlines

operates a sizable long-haul network connecting the United States to various overseas destinations. Some of commercial aviation’s longest routes connect significant cities on many continents. Based on data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, a summary of United Airlines’ longest routes in September 2024 is below.

The longest route: San Francisco – Singapore

United Airlines’ longest route is between

San Francisco International Airport

(SFO) and

Singapore Changi Airport

(SIN), covering 8,440 miles (13,621 km). This route operates with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offering 15,420 seats across 60 operations in September. The average flight time on this route is approximately 16 hours and 30 minutes. The SFO-SIN route is an important trans-Pacific service, connecting the West Coast and Southeast Asia. This nonstop route to Singapore from the West Coast on United Airlines was discontinued in 2018 and resumed in 2022.

United operates two daily flights on this route:

• UA1: Departs from SFO at 22:40 and arrives at SIN at 6:15+2, local time.
• UA2: Departs from SIN at 8:45 and arrives in SFO at 9:15 on the same day, local time.
• UA29: Departs from SFO at 11:05 and arrives at SIN at 18:45+1, local time.
• UA28: Departs from SIN at 21:00 and arrives in SFO at 21:20 on the same day, local time.

Singapore Airlines

also offers nonstop flights on this route with the

Airbus A350-900

, which has a slightly higher seat capacity and is a competitive choice for travelers.

Connections to Africa

United Airlines also operates several long-haul routes to

Africa

, with three of them exceeding 7,250 miles. The longest of these is the 7,988-mile (12,892-kilometer) route connecting

Newark Liberty International Airport

(EWR) and Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). This service is operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, providing 7,710 seats across one daily flight (30 operations) in September. The average flight time on this route is approximately 15 hours.

• UA188: Departs from EWR at 20:45 and arrives at JNB at 17:45 one day later, local time.
• UA187: Departs from JNB at 20:00 and arrives in EWR at 5:40 one day later, local time.

United also runs two other long-haul services to South Africa: one between

Washington Dulles International Airport

(IAD) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT), and another between EWR and CPT. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner serves both itineraries, with 3,588 tickets available over 13 trips in September. The average flight time for these flights is around 14 hours and 45 minutes. United Airlines initially used the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for both routes, but changed to B777-200 in September, according to its website.

• UA2222: Departs from IAD at 18:30 and arrives at CPT at 15:20+1, local time.
• UA2223: Departs from CPT at 20:00 and arrives in IAD at 5:35+1, local time.
• UA1122: Departs from EWR at 20:15 and arrives at CPT at 17:10+1, local time.
• UA1123: Departs from CPT at 19:50 and arrives in EWR at 5:30+1, local time

Routes To Australia

United Airlines also provides long-haul services to

Australia

, with three trips totaling over 7,250 miles. The first is a 7,920-mile (12,748-kilometer) route from

Los Angeles International Airport

(LAX) to

Melbourne Airport

(MEL). The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operates this route, with a total seat capacity of 3,341 across 13 trips in September. The average flight time on this trip is about 15 hours.

Qantas

, the national carrier of Australia, operates on this route as well, using a combination of Boeing 789 and Airbus A380-800, making it a strong competitor for United.

• UA 98: Departs from LAX at 22:40 and arrives at MEL at 07:30+2, local time
• UA 99: Departs from MEL at 9:30 and arrives in LAX at 6:40 on the same day, local time

Another long-haul route to Australia is between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Melbourne Airport, which covers 7,853 miles (12,638 km). United uses the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for this route, offering 7,710 seats across 30 operations in September. The average flight time on this route is approximately 15 hours.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

• UA 60: Departs from SFO at 23:35 and arrives at MEL at 08:15+2, local time
• UA 61: Departs from MEL at 10:55 and arrives in SFO at 8:15 on the same day, local time

The last route to Australia is between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport

(SYD), covering 7,417 miles (11,938 km). United operates this route with the Boeing 777-300ER, offering 10,500 seats across 30 operations in September. The average flight time on this route is approximately 14 hours and 30 minutes. However, Simple Flying recently reported that United will reduce the operation.

• UA 863: Departs from SFO at 23:05 and arrives at SYD at 07:00+2, local time
• UA 870: Departs from SYD at 10:20 and arrives in SFO at 6:55 on the same day, local time

Destinations in Asia

Aside from the longest route, SFO-SIN, United Airlines operates many long-haul flights that highlight the company’s Asian network. One of these is the 7,323-mile flight from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to

Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport

(DEL), with a total of 7,710 seats available across 30 flights in September on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Another notable route is the 7,260-mile trip from Los Angeles to

Hong Kong International Airport

(HKG), which also offers 7,710 seats across 30 flights, with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. These routes are critical for connecting the United States to significant financial and cultural hubs in Asia.

• UA 82: Departs from EWR at 21:10 and arrives in DEL at 21:30+1, local time
• UA 83: Departs from DEL at 23:35 and arrives at EWR at 06:25+1, local time
• UA 801: Departs from LAX at 10:50 and arrives at HKG at 16:45+1, local time
• UA 802: Departs from HKG at 18:55 and arrives in LAX at 17:15 on the same day, local time