United Airlines’ Longest Nonstop Routes With The Boeing 787-9 In 2025

United Airlines, one of the big three carriers in the US, links major domestic hubs with international gateways across the world. The airline serves more than 200 destinations in the US and around 150 abroad, spanning 77 countries. Several of its key long-haul services rely on the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. It is among the world’s major operators of the type, flying all three variants.

According to ch-aviation data, the airline’s 787 fleet includes 12 787-8s, 21 787-10s, and 46 787-9s. The 787-9 has become especially important, and is currently supporting some of United’s longest nonstop routes. Data from aviation analytics provider Cirium shows that in 2025, the airline has scheduled more than 20,800 flights with the type.

Houston To Sydney Is United’s Longest 787-9 Route

The longest route United will operate using its Boeing 787-9 is between Houston and Sydney. The flight covers about 8,835 miles (14,219 km), lasting up to 17 and a half hours westbound and around 15 hours and 45 minutes on the return. The airline launched the service in 2018, and although it was first operated year-round, it now runs only in the northern winter season. The final flight of the 2024/25 season departed on March 27, and daily operations will resume on October 26.

United uses its latest 787-9 configuration on this sector, which features Polaris business class with 48 seats, 21 in premium economy, and 188 in economy. Furthermore, the second-longest route is San Francisco to Singapore, at around 8,440 miles (13,583 km). This is also the airline’s busiest 787-9 Dreamliner route this year, with around 730 flights scheduled in each direction. United launched the nonstop link in 2016; it previously operated the connection via Hong Kong and later Tokyo Narita with the Boeing 747-400.

The carrier also attempted nonstop flights from Los Angeles in 2017, but the route lasted only a year as it proved unsustainable. United canceled the service and instead added a second daily frequency between San Francisco and Singapore, which it has maintained ever since. The third-longest route the airline has scheduled is its newly launched service between San Francisco and Adelaide, covering 8,068 miles (12,981 km). Starting on December 11, the carrier will operate the service three times per week during the southern summer season.

Several African And Australian Routes Exceed 7,000 Miles

In addition, United operates several other routes across Africa and Australasia that exceed 7,000 miles, including its 7,988-mile (12,855 km) service from Newark to Johannesburg. The airline introduced this route in 2021, taking the opportunity to restore nonstop flights between the New York area and Johannesburg after South African Airways withdrew from JFK in 2020. Johannesburg became United’s second South African destination from New Jersey after Cape Town, which launched in 2019.

The airline now flies daily between Newark and Johannesburg and three times per week between Newark and Cape Town, but it is seeking regulatory approval to shift one Johannesburg frequency to Cape Town year-round. That would reduce Johannesburg to six flights per week while raising Cape Town to four. It is also requesting permission to operate some Newark–Johannesburg flights with a stop in Cape Town when demand or operational conditions require. That would allow a Newark–Johannesburg–Cape Town–Newark routing and provide flexibility similar to the authority already granted to Delta.

Another South African link, between Washington Dulles and Cape Town, is also one of the longest at around 7,923 miles (12,751 km). The route was launched in 2022, and at the time, United argued that it was the most in-demand nonstop link between the United States and South Africa without current service. However, Department of Transportation (DOT) data shows that in 2024, the route carried 69,000 round-trip passengers with an 80% seat load factor, the lowest among United’s African services. By comparison, its Accra and Lagos flights achieved 83% and 82% respectively.

Beyond Africa, its Los Angeles to Melbourne route spans about 7,920 miles (12,746 km) and is scheduled year-round. The airline operated daily flights in January, February, and March, while between April and November it scheduled 12 to 14 services per month. In December, daily operations will return for the peak holiday season. Additionally, United also operates the San Francisco to Melbourne route that covers 7,853 miles (12,638 km) and is served daily throughout the year. The airline also flies daily between Los Angeles and Sydney, which measures about 7,487 miles (12,049 km).

United’s Longest Asian Routes With The 787-9

Besides, some of United’s longest 787-9 routes are to Asia. Its Newark–Delhi service is one of its longest Asian sectors, covering 7,323 miles (11,785 km). Additionally, another of the farthest is Los Angeles to Hong Kong, which covers 7,260 miles (11,638 km). This is the airline’s second-busiest 787-9 service this year, with about 710 flights scheduled in each direction. The route was launched in October 2023 and operates year-round, with most days seeing two daily flights.

The airline faces direct competition from Cathay Pacific, which is already established on the route. Its US rival Delta also introduced a new daily service in May. Furthermore, from Los Angeles, the Star Alliance member also flies to Shanghai Pudong and Beijing Capital, both exceeding 6,000 miles. It resumed flights to Shanghai Pudong in 2024 after suspending the route in 2020 because of the pandemic and restrictions on US–China travel.

Meanwhile, service to Beijing Capital only began in May 2025, with flights operating three times per week. Additionally, United also links several of the airline’s US hubs to Tokyo Narita, including Los Angeles, Newark, Houston, and Denver. Narita was once dominated by Delta through its Northwest Airlines heritage, but United has steadily grown its presence there. The airline recently launched three new fifth-freedom routes in 2025.

United’s Key European Routes Operated By The 787-9

Apart from that, several of its European routes operated by the 787-9 are over 5,000 miles. The longest scheduled service is between San Francisco and Frankfurt, which spans 5,699 miles (9,171 km). The route normally sees Boeing 777-200 and 777-300ER operations, but from the start of the winter season in late October, the airline will switch its daily -300ER flights to daily 787-9 flights.

Another long route is the newly launched seasonal route from Denver to Rome Fiumicino, at 5,563 miles (8,952 km). United inaugurated the service in May 2025 and has operated daily throughout the summer. Flights are scheduled until September 24, after which the seasonal route will pause. The carrier’s daily year-round routes to London from Los Angeles and San Francisco are also among its longest European services, which cover 5,456 miles (8,780 km) and 5,368 miles (8,638 km), respectively.

This summer, the airline assigned the 787-9 to the San Francisco route between May 22 and September 24, operating daily during that period before switching back to the 777. Besides, United also operates daily year-round flights from Denver to Munich and Frankfurt. Both routes exceed 5,000 miles and remain important parts of the carrier’s transatlantic network.

Widebodies At Home: United’s Domestic 787-9 Deployments

While the 787-9 is central to United’s long-haul international network, the type also appears on several high-demand domestic routes. The big three US carriers regularly assign widebodies to their busiest domestic sectors, and United does the same with the 787-9. Notably, when it first introduced the 787-9, the aircraft was even deployed on domestic flights before entering long-haul service.

This year, the airline has scheduled more than 3,000 domestic flights with the type. One of the busiest is Newark to San Francisco, a 2,565-mile (4,128 km) route with 512 one-way flights planned this year. For the first three months of 2025, United operated the service twice daily with the 787-9 and then scaled back to one daily frequency. Newark to Los Angeles also sees the aircraft, with around 500 one-way flights scheduled this year.

In addition, the 787-9 is also deployed between Washington Dulles and San Francisco, a 2,419-mile (3,893 km) route with daily service. Washington Dulles to Los Angeles also sees seasonal deployments, with at least one frequency operated by the type during the northern winter schedule.

The 787-9 Remains Central To United’s International Growth

Over the years, United has built a long-haul network centered on yield optimization across its gateway hubs. Newark Liberty and Washington Dulles serve as the primary departure points for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, while San Francisco leads the Pacific network. Other major hubs at Chicago O’Hare, Houston, Los Angeles, and Denver add further geographic depth and help diversify the carrier’s reach across key global markets.

On the aircraft side, the Boeing 777 still carries the highest volumes on trunk routes, but the Dreamliner family has become equally vital for thinner markets where fuel burn and range are more important than seat count. United is one of the few airlines operating all three Dreamliner variants, but the 787-9 forms the backbone of the fleet. Its size and efficiency give the airline the flexibility to sustain ultra-long services as well as destinations that could not justify a larger widebody.

The carrier operates 46 787-9s today and has more than 140 additional Dreamliners on order. When the 787-9 first joined the fleet, one of its earliest uses was to rework the Pacific schedule, opening nonstop links that would have been difficult to sustain with previous types. That strategy has since expanded across Asia, Africa, and Europe, and the aircraft remains a key part of United’s long-haul operations, one that will continue to shape its international growth in the years ahead.