United Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jack Creighton today attended ceremonies commemorating the opening of a new runway at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan.  Creighton joined United`s local employees to launch the carrier`s new daily nonstop service between Narita, Japan and Taipei, Taiwan, starting April 18.

“I am pleased to be here today to celebrate the exciting changes at Narita.  This second runway is a critical step in strengthening Narita`s position as the premier trans-Pacific hub,” said Creighton.  “It will make travel easier for passengers connecting throughout Asia and points within Japan.  Elapsed travel times via Narita will be reduced to five Japanese cities providing many new options for United customers traveling to Japan, and to ANA passengers who want to reach U.S. destinations.”

The flights between Narita and Taipei will be operated with Boeing 777 aircraft, offering 12 seats in United First, 49 seats in United business, and 197 seats in United Economy—featuring United`s Economy Plus product offering.

The flights are timed to offer United`s customers convenient connections to and form trans-Pacific flights linking Tokyo with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Honolulu and New York, in addition to meeting the needs of travelers in Asia.

Creighton also joined local United employees in celebrating the carrier`s expanded code-share service with its Star Alliance partner All Nippon Airways (ANA).  United will progressively expand code sharing with ANA to Osaka Itami International, Fukuoka and Nagoya and Sapporo.  Code share service to Sendai will be added with the winter schedule.

“Our alliance with ANA is a key element in our success in this market, made even more dynamic and valuable with the changes in Narita,” said Creighton.

United Airlines offers nearly 1,700 flights a day on a route network that spans the globe.  United is a major airline in the Pacific region, serving 12 destinations and is a founding member of the Star Alliance.  News releases and other information about United Airlines can be found at the company’s local website, www.unitedairlines.co.jp.

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