United's forthcoming Narita-Koror route to restore Palau's link to other markets, Whipps says

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

United Airlines will launch its service between Japan and Palau on Oct. 29, filling the void created by Delta Air's pullout from the region in 2018.

“These twice-weekly flights will restore a vital bridge in the sky, bringing pristine paradise Palau closer to Japan and strengthening connections between our two nations,” Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr.

At the same time, Whipps said the new route, which will complement United’s existing services to Guam and Manila from Koror, will rebuild connections to the mainland U.S. and the rest of Asia.

United said the new flight will enable easy one-stop connections for travelers coming from the mainland U.S. “With nearly 350 islands in Palau, visitors can plan the ultimate underwater adventure with snorkeling or scuba diving to see the diverse coral and fish in the Pacific,” the U.S. carrier said in a press release.

“It is great news for Palau citizens, tourism and the broader economy. All visitors can expect a warm Palauan welcome and a wonderful experience in our pristine paradise,” Whipps said.

United is the only U.S. airline to serve Palau.

Bookings for nonstop flights between Tokyo/Narita and Koror, Palau are now on sale at united.com and through travel agents.

“This new route will provide our customers with greater travel choice, as well as the opportunity to visit the many attractions in each destination,” said Ken Kiriyama, United's director of sales for Japan, Micronesia, Philippines and Taiwan.

 “Together with other new Asia routes we have announced, we are bringing a new exciting range of destinations to our customers in the region and around the globe," he added.

Kadoi Ruluked, managing director of Palau Visitors Bureau, said the direct service will help boost Palau’s tourism rebuilding strategy, which targets high-value and environment-conscious travelers.

“Our goal is to balance tourism growth with our longstanding commitment to protecting the pristine paradise that has sustained Palauans for generations,” Ruluked said.

Japan was historically one of Palau's key markets. However, Delta’s cancellation of the Saipan-Koror route made Palau a challenging destination for Japanese travelers, who now have to take multiple connecting flights.

At any rate, the Palau Visitors Bureau noted a slow increase in Japanese arrivals in recent months, capturing 18.2 percent of the market share. It is now Palau’s third-largest market.

The new route will also unlock a new Asian market for Palau.

On May 1, United launched its inaugural flight from Tokyo/Narita to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, becoming the first and only U.S. airline to serve Mongolia with its new seasonal nonstop service. 

Sam Shinohara, managing director of Airport Operations for Asia/Pacific, noted that the Guam operation will play a big role in servicing United’s new flights to Ulaanbaatar and Koror.

“With our new route launches, we will offer our customers in the region more route options and convenient connections,” he said. “We continue to identify how we can better serve our customers in the Pacific. Our pilot and flight crew teams and assets based in Guam play an important role in supporting the seamless connectivity through Tokyo/Narita, which will provide even more opportunities for us to offer our customers an unprecedented array of vibrant, unique and extraordinary destinations.”

United’s new seasonal service connects travelers between Ulaanbaatar and the continental U.S. through Tokyo/Narita from five United hubs in the continental U.S.: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Newark/New York and Denver.

Additionally, passengers can connect in Tokyo from United’s services from Guam, Saipan and Cebu or from United’s joint venture partner ANA’s network.

United will operate the new flight from May until October, three times per week, departing Tokyo/Narita at 4:30 p.m. and arriving in Ulaanbaatar at 8:55 p.m.  Return flights from Ulaanbaatar will depart at 9:55 a.m. and arrive in Tokyo/Narita at 3:45 p.m.  United will operate the flights with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering 166 seats – 16 of which are business class.

The Koror flight to Tokyo Narita is scheduled to depart at 11:25 a.m. and arrive in Tokyo at 4 p.m. local time. Return flights from Tokyo Narita are planned to depart at 5:55 p.m. and arrive in Koror at 10:50 p.m. United plans to operate the flights with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering 166 seats, 16 of which are in business class.

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