United Airlines continues Japan expansion with new Okinawa and Osaka routes

United Airlines is continuing to expand its Japan offerings as part of a global push for the airline, the company announced on Tuesday.

Starting from March 2027, the American carrier will offer flights from San Francisco to Okinawa’s Naha Airport three times weekly. It will also add daily direct flights to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport from Los Angeles to go along with its existing services connecting Osaka with Guam and San Francisco.

With the additional Japan flights, the airline aims to capitalize on the country’s tourism boom, which has seen travelers flocking to the country, fueled in part by the weakness of the yen against the U.S. dollar. Osaka, along with Tokyo and Kyoto, is a favored tourist destination for international travelers.

Tropical Okinawa, meanwhile, is home to a significant American military presence and an American population of around 80,000. The prefecture currently has no direct connections to the U.S.

Back in May, the airline announced it would roll out daily direct flights from Chicago to Tokyo. It also announced winter seasonal flights to the Sapporo area’s New Chitose Airport from San Francisco, aimed at ski slope-bound tourists. United’s route adds to Hokkaido’s growing list of direct connections with Western nations, with Australia’s Qantas adding a Sydney flight in 2025 and Air Canada set to launch seasonal service to and from Vancouver later this year.

Aside from Japan, the airline announced a series of new flight routes to cities across Europe.

Strategically, United Airlines is aiming for breadth, offering locations not currently catered to by American competitors, amid growing demand from U.S. travelers.

“The creative and strategic way we’ve expanded our international network since the pandemic has made all the difference, not only for our customers and employees, but also as a way to differentiate United and build a brand focused on customers,” said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, in a media statement.

United Airlines has added around 60 new international destinations over the past 10 years and offers flights to more than 160 non-U.S. destinations.

Competitor American Airlines has also sought to bolster its direct Japan flights in recent years.

In February 2024, it announced that it would launch direct flights from New York to Tokyo, while in July this year, it unveiled a nonstop service from Chicago to Tokyo.