The new service will be seasonal but that may change, says government. Photo: United Airlines
United Airlines is to start flying direct between Adelaide and San Francisco from December.
The SA Government says the seasonal service will be the state’s first direct air route with the US and means SA residents no longer have to connect via Melbourne, Brisbane or Sydney.
The first flight departs San Francisco on December 11 and the first return flight departs Adelaide on December 13.
The 15-hour flight, onboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, will operate three times per week until March but the government says there is room to expand.
Premier Peter Malinauskas says the decision is “historic” for his state.
“For many years, a direct route between South Australia and the US has been out of reach,” he says.
“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.”
The flight will also serve as a one-stop connection for travellers from Perth, who are currently not served by a US direct route.
REACTION
SA Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison says more than 44,000 US tourists visited the state, spending $77 million.
For the year ending December 2024, there were 669,000 trips from the US to Australia with visitors spending $2.0 billion.
This is a historic collaboration between United Airlines and our state …”
Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox says the service “has been decades in the making”.
“This service will directly benefit business, investment and our broader tourism economy,” he says.
“We will now have even greater business connectivity and export and supply chain opportunities with North America … already our state’s second biggest export market.
“We intend to make this service a great success and build this towards a year-round service in years to come.”
United Airlines Managing Director for APAC Airport Operations, Sam Shinohara says direct flights are a big factor in people’s choice of travel destinations.
“This game-changing new flight will add almost 25,000 more seats between the US and Australia each year …,” he says.
