Many airlines around the world are eyeing 2022 as a year for a sustained recovery drive following the impacts of coronavirus on the industry. This has seen the resumption of a plethora of routes worldwide, and United has now got in on the act with an announcement regarding its services between Newark and Cape Town.

Year-round flights as of June 5th

United Airlines announced earlier today that, in the coming months, it plans to restore service to one of its key long-haul routes. Beginning on June 5th this year, the Star Alliance founding member will once again be present on the corridor between Newark Liberty International (EWR) and Cape Town International (CPT).

United is the only carrier to offer a non-stop connection between Newark and Cape Town, a route that it first flew in December 2019 before pausing service amid the coronavirus pandemic. United's Senior Vice President of International Network Planning and Alliances, Patrick Quayle, welcomed the announcement. He stated:

"By offering flights to Cape Town year-round, we're making it even easier for our customers to visit one of the world's best destinations. United's direct flights from New York/Newark cut the usual travel time to Cape Town by more than five hours, giving visitors extra time to enjoy the beauty and majesty of South Africa."

Operated by the Boeing 787-9

United's plans to reopen its non-stop Newark-Cape Town route remain subject to government approval. If they get the green light, the airline plans to operate three flights a week along this corridor, using Boeing 787-9 'Dreamliner' aircraft. According to data from ch-aviation.com, there are 38 of these twinjets in United's fleet.

They are just 4.5 years old on average, and United fits them with two seating layouts. In his instance, United has confirmed that it will deploy four-class 787-9s between Newark and Cape Town, featuring "48 lie-flat, United Polaris business class seats, 21 United Premium Plus seats, and 39 seats in Economy Plus."

According to data from SeatGuru, this setup also features 149 standard economy class seats, with 31 inches of pitch. This brings the total capacity up to 257 passengers. Economy Plus seats have a 34-inch pitch but no additional width, whereas United Premium Plus seats are 19 inches wide and offer 38 inches of pitch.

Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests

United's growing African network

As it happens, United's route from Newark to Cape Town is one of several that makes up its burgeoning African network. According to the airline, the initial success of this service prompted it to launch flights to cities elsewhere on the continent. These included "flights between Newark and Johannesburg in June 2021."

Away from Newark, United has also been building a network of African routes out of another one of its most significant hubs, namely Washington Dulles International (IAD). From this key operating base, it has launched routes to both Accra, Ghana (May 2021) and Lagos, Nigeria (November 2021) in the last 12 months.

What do you make of this planned service resumption? Do you have plans to fly on United's Newark-Cape Town route when it restarts? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.