United Airlines Resumes Nonstop San Francisco-Melbourne Route

DALLAS - United Airlines (UA) has announced a June 2022 reintroduction of its nonstop service between San Francisco and Melbourne.

The 3X weekly route relaunch complements UA's current service between Sydney and the airline's hubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Once the route commences, UA will be the sole U.S. carrier to operate nonstop service between Melbourne and the United States.

United began offering direct service to Melbourne from Los Angeles in 2014 and launched nonstop flights between San Francisco and Melbourne in October of 2019. The carrier says it collaborated extensively with the Victorian government on the reinstatement of this service, as well as on broader market plans as demand grows.

Since Australia declared in February that it would reopen its borders to international tourists after nearly two years of closure, there has been a significant increase in travel demand from the United States.

United says it has more capacity from the United States to Australia than any other U.S. carrier, so it is gearing up for the busy summer travel season. Also, the airline recently established a commercial agreement with Virgin Australia (VA) that is set to provide further connectivity to top Australian locations via easy one-stop flights.

United Airlines Boeing 787-9 N24974. Photo: Joao Pedro Santoro/Airways

Comments from United Airlines, Victorian Officials

"The fact that we retained daily passenger service to Australia throughout the lowest points of the pandemic – and were the only airline to do so – shows our commitment to Australia," said Patrick Quayle, senior vice president of international network and alliances at United.

"We are thrilled to resume our San Francisco to Melbourne service and see a bright future ahead for United, for Melbourne, and for US-Australia travel."

"We're backing more direct international flights to Melbourne because we know the critical role they play in supporting Victorian businesses and creating jobs," said Martin Pakula, Victorian Minister for Industry Support and Recovery.

"Having more direct flights from the U.S. means it is even easier for visitors to come to Victoria and enjoy everything we are famous for – whether that's our major sporting events, food scene, or cultural institutions."

Featured image: United Airlines N25982 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Photo: Luke Ayers/Airways