United Airlines will offer nonstop service between San Francisco and Brisbane starting Oct. 28, 2022.
The move makes United “the first U.S. airline to add a new transpacific destination to its global network since the start of the pandemic”, said Patrick Quayle, the airline’s senior v.p. of international network and alliances, in a press statement. It follows the airline’s recent partnership with Virgin Australia, which will allow United’s passengers to connect from Brisbane to 20 other Australian cities.
The new service will run three times a week, with Brisbane (BNE) to San Francisco (SFO) flights operating on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and San Francisco (SFO) to Brisbane (BNE) flights operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. United currently flies nonstop to Melbourne (MEL) from San Francisco (SFO) and to Sydney (SYD) from San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX).
Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff described the deal as “a game changer for the tourism industry, having the potential to add around 80,000 additional seats annually in and out of Queensland.” He added: “As Brisbane Airport welcomes more than 75% of all international arrivals into Queensland, securing United is good news for tourism and hospitality businesses from Coolangatta to the Cape.”
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called the service a great coup for Queensland as the government works to rebuild the state’s tourism industry. “We’re aggressively pursuing new direct flights to our key tourism destinations to drive visitation and support local jobs,” said Palaszczuk. “This airline route is also of strategic importance for Queensland when it comes to growing our share of the international tourism market. San Francisco is a major hub for United with direct connectivity to 80 North American cities. By securing these flights, Queensland becomes an easy choice for thousands of visitors throughout the US.”
For more information, visit united.com.
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