United's Palau-Tokyo service takes off
- Admin
- 15 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Koror (UA) – United today launched its inaugural flight from Palau to Tokyo/Narita – a year-round service which connects travelers between Palau and the Continental U.S. through Tokyo/Narita from five United hubs: New York/Newark, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
To celebrate the inaugural flight from Tokyo yesterday, guests observed a traditional Japanese sake barrel ceremony at Narita Airport. The inaugural flight was welcomed at Palau International Airport with a water cannon salute and cultural entertainment, and there will be a gate celebration to welcome customers onboard the first departing flight from Palau today.
The new service enables easy one-stop connections for travelers coming from the mainland U.S. or directly from Tokyo to experience the pristine marine ecosystems.
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. United also serves Palau from Guam and Manila.
“Our new direct flights between Palau and Japan with onward connections to the U.S. reflect our commitment to enhancing regional connectivity and supporting the growth of local economies,” said Steve Morrissey, vice president for International Regulatory and Policy.
“This new route will provide our customers with greater travel choice and the opportunity to visit many attractions in each destination, and strengthen our longstanding partnership with Palau. United continues to expand in places our customers want to travel, and our new service to Palau is a great example of that.”
“This new direct flight to Japan marks another important milestone in expanding opportunities for travel, commerce, and cultural exchange,” said President of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr.
“We are grateful to United Airlines for their continued partnership and leadership in reconnecting Palau to the world. Their swift action to resume flights after the pandemic, and commitment to restoring our air links, has been crucial to our economic revival.”
The new flight departs Tokyo/Narita at 5:55 p.m. and arrives in Palau at 10:50 p.m. local time. Return flights from Palau to Tokyo/Narita depart at 11:25 a.m. and arrive at 4:00 p.m. United will operate the flights with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering 166 seats – 16 of which are in business class. By the end of 2026, United will replace the Boeing 737-800 that currently serves the route with a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
These aircraft will feature United’s signature interior with seatback entertainment in every seat, larger overhead bins for every passenger's carry-on bag, Wi-Fi available for purchase, more extra-legroom seating, and wireless Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a bright look-and-feel with LED lighting, bringing customers a more modern onboard experience.
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