Second-Largest Airline United Airlines’ Big Long-haul Expansion with

United Airlines’ Big Long-haul Expansion with 5 Routes to Africa + India; P2P Demand of 524,000

UNITED AIRLINES WILL BEGIN three routes

to Africa and two to India, together with two domestic services to Hawaii.

Of these seven, only three are new for the carrier: Chicago O’Hare – Delhi, Newark – Johannesburg, and San Francisco – Bangalore.

Its coming Johannesburg service follows Newark – Cape Town, which it began last December on a three-weekly, winter-seasonal basis.

Chicago – Kona, Newark – Kahului, and Washington Dulles to both Accra and Lagos, meanwhile, are returning.

However, unlike before, when Accra and Lagos were linked with a fi ve-weekly service from Dulles,

they will now each be served non-stop.

Combined, United’s fi ve Africa and India routes have estimated P2P demand alone – before all the connectivity over its hubs – of 524,000: • San Francisco – Bangalore: 137,000 • Newark – Johannesburg: 134,000 • Chicago – Delhi: 125,000 • Washington Dulles – Accra: 72,000 • Dulles – Lagos: 56,000

US – Africa passed 2.2 million seats last year

The US – Africa non-stop and one-stop through service market had over 2.2 million seats last year, up by 17% YOY.

But except for last year, capacity has been more or less fl at in the past decade.

Interestingly, United’s new countries – Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa – had 98% of all US – Africa seats in 2011. Last year, however, this had reduced to just 51%. This is mainly from the strong growth of Ethiopian Airlines.

What this does not show is that actual capacity to these countries has reduced from a peak of nearly 1.8 million to just over 1.1 million last year.

This coming winter it is expected that 21 routes will operate between the two. As of now, the topfi ve routes, by seat capacity, will be: • Ethiopian Airlines: Washington Dulles – Addis

Ababa • South African: New York JFK – Johannesburg • EgyptAir: JFK – Cairo • Royal Air Maroc: JFK – Casablanca • South African: Dulles – Accra – Johannesburg

Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, South African, Delta, and EgyptAir are expected to have the most seats this winter in that order.

Delta serves Lagos from both Atlanta and New York JFK, and Accra from Atlanta. Its Atlanta – Johannesburg will route Atlanta – Johannesburg – Cape Town – Atlanta from this December.

United Airlines previously served Accra from Dulles using B767-300ERs. It began in June 2010 with Lagos being tagged on the following year. Accra ended in 2012, while Lagos operated between 2011 and 2016, initially from Dulles via Accra and then non-stop from Houston. www.anna.aero/2020/09/10/united-airlines-big-longhaul-expansion-with-5-routes-to-africa-india-p2pdemand-of-524000 Publication date: September 2020