AIRLINE INDUSTRY : United Plans Major Expansion of Its Flight Schedule to Pacific Region

United Airlines said it will begin a major expansion of service to the Pacific region from its San Francisco hub, eventually offering 74 weekly nonstop flights to the region.

United said the expansion will make it the largest carrier at San Francisco International Airport.

The airline will begin its first daily nonstop service linking Tokyo with both Beijing and Shanghai on Feb. 13, using Boeing 747 jets that will fly nonstop between San Francisco and Tokyo.

United had operated as few as three flights to China every week as recently as June.

It said it will also begin three nonstop flights a week from San Francisco to Sydney in June, augmenting current daily nonstop service from Los Angeles to Sydney.

The airline will add a second flight to the current daily nonstop service from San Francisco to Hong Kong in June, with the new flight operating four days a week, pending the availability of sufficient landing slots in Hong Kong.