United Airlines will begin offering non-stop service between Raleigh-Durham International Airport and San Francisco International Airport today, (Aug. 15). The daily flight will depart at 7 a.m. and arrive at SFO at 9:50 a.m. local time. That time is aligned with outbound Asia flight departures in the 11 o’clock hour. Following are just some of the cities passengers will be able to connect to: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Kahului, Hawaii. Governor Bev Perdue, N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll and a delegation of 18 economic development officials from across the state are expected to be on the inaugural flight.
The flight departs San Francisco at 12:50 p.m. and arrives at RDU at 8:50 p.m.
“By strengthening the air service connection between the two coasts and Asia, we are creating more opportunities for N.C. businesses to be more competitive and to create more jobs for North Carolinians,” said Perdue during the April press conference announcing the flight.
The announcement came after growing demand for non-stop service between RDU and San Francisco, a major metropolitan area and home to various industry sectors that are complementary to the Research Triangle Region. It is also a popular leisure destination and gateway to locations in the Pacific Rim.