United Airlines is expanding its network in Japan with two new nonstop routes linking the U.S. mainland to Tokyo-Narita and Sapporo. The carrier will launch daily, year-round service between Chicago O’Hare and Tokyo-Narita on October 24, 2026, according to multiple industry reports and company statements. United will be the only U.S. airline operating nonstop on this route, using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
About seven weeks later, on December 11, 2026, United plans to begin seasonal nonstop flights between San Francisco and Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport. The service will operate three times weekly through the winter months and is expected to be flown with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The route is billed as the first nonstop connection between the continental United States and Sapporo, a gateway to Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido and its ski resorts.
With these additions, United will serve five Japanese airports across four cities from its continental U.S. and Guam hubs: Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Haneda, Sapporo, Osaka, and Nagoya. At peak this winter, the airline expects to operate up to 13 daily flights between the continental U.S. and Japan. The new Chicago–Narita service is also set to expand one-stop connectivity deeper into Asia through partner All Nippon Airways, including destinations such as Cebu, Guam, Palau, Saipan, and Ulaanbaatar.