United Airlines launching Adelaide to San Francisco direct flights in December

Adelaide’s biggest firm has hailed new non-stop flights to the USA after a historic announcement for other local businesses and jetsetters.

United Airlines will soon launch a direct Adelaide to San Francisco flight. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP

The chief of the state’s biggest company has hailed first-ever direct flights from Adelaide to the United States as a “great new development” that confirms “just how outward looking the state is”.

Capping a decades-long ambition for direct Adelaide-US links, United Airlines in December will launch an Adelaide to San Francisco route, starting as a seasonal service with 15-hour, thrice-weekly flights of a 257-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The first flight will depart San Francisco on December 11 and the return leg will leave Adelaide on December 13.

The multi-year service’s first season will continue until March, with an option to increase frequency in the future as demand grows.

Santos managing director and chief executive officer Kevin Gallagher said this was a significant moment for SA businesses.

“This is a great new development for Adelaide that acknowledges just how outward looking this state is, and how much interest there is from the wider world in what makes South Australia exceptional. It’s a world class destination for tourism, and for business, industry and opportunity,” he said.

“As a South Australian business, this initiative brings us closer to the world and removes another hurdle that can be a drain on productivity. Less time in transit means more time on the ground cultivating opportunities that make a difference for our business, and our state.

“We have long known that Adelaide punches far above its weight in the number of international and internationally-focused businesses that are based here, and this initiative is a meaningful step to ensure that reputation only gets stronger and that even more businesses think about making Adelaide their home in the future.”

One-stop connections for Adelaide travellers will open up to more than 75 US destinations from United’s San Francisco hub, including New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Premier Peter Malinauskas declared the route announcement “a historic occasion for South Australians”, while Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox hailed a direct connection “to an entirely new continent”.

Tickets will go on sale on Thursday for flights arriving into Adelaide at 9.30am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing for San Francisco on the same days at 2.55pm.

Premier Peter Malinauskas at Adelaide Airport in March, before leaving for a trade delegation to India. Picture: Facebook

United has codeshare co-operation with Virgin Australia, along with reciprocal loyalty benefits for frequent flyer schemes.

Mr Malinauskas listed as a driver for the flights the $368bn AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine construction project centred on Adelaide, using top-secret US technology.

“Today is an historic occasion for South Australians who have long wanted to fly direct to the United States. For many years, the ambition of a direct route between South Australia and the US has been out of reach,” he said.

“With our state’s economy outperforming the nation, and the historic AUKUS agreement set to drive unprecedented investment into South Australia – now is the right time for direct flights to the US.

“I encourage any South Australians who are heading to the US to take advantage of this magnificent service into San Francisco each year.”

Adelaide Airport in 2023 unveiled a Network Vision 2050 plan for direct flights to 37 cities, highlighting that a direct US link would require a $2bn-plus investment allocation.

Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox. Picture Dean Martin

Mr Cox said the new United service would directly benefit business, investment and the state’s tourism economy.

“This is a significant moment for Adelaide Airport, our community and our state. Adelaide will now be connected directly to an entirely new continent – this is a core connection in our aviation network vision that has been decades in the making,” he said.

“United Airlines has seized this opportunity and they will benefit greatly from this commitment to Adelaide and South Australia.

“We will now have even greater business connectivity and export and supply chain opportunities with North America – improving links with what is already our state’s second biggest export market.”

United Airlines managing director for APAC airport operations Sam Shinohara listed the airline’s “strong partnership with Virgin Australia” and comprehensive US domestic network as key enticements for customers.

“This game-changing new flight will add almost 25,000 more seats between the US and Australia each year, and makes United the only airline to offer non-stop service between the US and four major cities in Australia,” he said.

Originally published as United Airlines launching Adelaide to San Francisco direct flights in December