United Airlines recently announced plans to resume flying from San Francisco to Hong Kong. The route resumption shows the return of vital business demand to the territory and mainland China, once the bedrock for premium demand from the airport.

Strong Demand

UA877 is a daily flight that leaves San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). It was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions in Hong Kong and China. It’s important to note that the US has a separate aviation agreement with Hong Kong than China due to its status as an independent territory. The resumption of flights was initially planned for early February but was later delayed to March.

However, in January, China relaxed restrictions on passengers from the United States, and United Airlines restarted the route. United Airlines said bookings were “stronger than expected” but also commented that it is still early days and that time was needed to see the bigger picture.

United Airlines 777-300ER
Photo: United Airlines

United Airlines' Director of Greater China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia Sales, Walter Dias, said that on its first flight back last week, the load factor on the Boeing 777 was 97%. That’s almost a full plane. Dias goes on to say that it's a “big milestone for rebuilding Asia-Pacific routes" and that there might be an option in the future for a second flight if demand stays where it is at the moment.

This route is extremely profitable for United and has been operating for a few years. According to figures from the United States Department of Transportation, United flew 221,423 roundtrip passengers between Hong Kong and San Francisco in 2019. That was just before the pandemic struck.

Region Recovering

The Asia-Pacific region is slowly but surely recovering from the damaging effects of the pandemic. This is welcomed by United Airlines, which had a strong presence in that market. When China reopened its borders in January, United resumed direct flights, whereas other US carriers like Delta and American Airlines returned later.

United Airlines Boeing 777-200
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

United Airlines is hopeful about a possible agreement between the United States Federal Aviation Authority and the Chinese Civil Aviation Authority about an increase in flights to the country. Speaking recently, Dias said:

“We cannot add any flights until the two governments come to an agreement on our frequency. We're just cautiously optimistic that they will kind of have some additional agreement, but we'll just have to watch and monitor what happens there."

Find more news about Asian aviation here

Allowing connections in SFO

United Airlines has a major unique selling point here with its San Francisco base - allowing passengers coming from Hong Kong to further connect to cities up and down the West Coast and beyond. This is important for non-hub travelers who may be looking to visit relatives or travel for work in cities like Seattle or Houston.

United Hong Kong-San Francisco top 10 transit markets
Image: GCMap.

However that may be the case, figures from 2019 show that 53% of passengers on the route were staying in either city and not transiting onwards to other destinations. 43% did connect in San Francisco, and 4% transited in Hong Kong. It was revealed that Los Angeles was the most popular destination after transiting through San Francisco, followed by, in order, Las Vegas, Portland, Denver, San Diego, Seattle, Houston, Mexico City, Salt Lake City, and Toronto.

Source: South China Morning Post

What do you think about the restoration of flights between San Francisco and Hong Kong? Have you flown on the route? Let us know in the comments below.

  • N14106 United Airlines (Her Art Here-California Livery) Boeing 757-224 (1)
    United Airlines
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    UA/UAL
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Guam International Airport, Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport
    Year Founded:
    1931
    Alliance:
    Star Alliance
    CEO:
    Scott Kirby
    Country:
    United States