United Airlines Launches Boeing 787-8 Flights Between Denver and Tokyo

United Airlines has relaunched international service on the 787 Dreamliner with the inaugural flight from the airline’s hub in Denver to Tokyo-Narita International Airport.

The flight marks Denver’s first nonstop connection to Asia.

“This new nonstop service between Denver and Tokyo will build a new bridge between Colorado and all of Asia, strengthening our global connectivity and elevating the entire Denver area onto the international stage,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “We thank United Airlines for its partnership on this new frontier of opportunity and its commitment to the Denver market. Launching this nonstop flight to Japan will not only create new jobs, stimulate economic growth and increase foreign investment and trade, it will provide new avenues for tourism, education and cultural exchanges that will enrich both regions for generations to come.”

Flight 139 departs Denver daily at 12:35 and arrives at Tokyo-Narita International Airport at 15:30 the next day. For the return, Flight 138 departs Tokyo at 17:25 and arrives in Denver at 13:15 the same day (all times are local).

Together with its joint venture partner ANA, United will offer seamless connections at Narita to or from more than 18 destinations in Asia, including important business and trade destinations like Seoul, South Korea, Bangkok and Singapore.

United’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner

United’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 70 seats in United Economy Plus and 113 seats in United Economy.

Improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems are among the passenger-friendly features.

All customers will be able to enjoy on-demand entertainment at every seat, and lighting that replicates a full day or night on long-haul flights such as Denver to Tokyo.

United is the 787 North American launch customer and now has six Dreamliners in its fleet. The airline has 55 Dreamliners on order and expects to take delivery of two more from Boeing in the second half of 2013.

“This new nonstop flight will be a gateway into Colorado for Japan and other Asian countries,” said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. “Already, Colorado is a top-five dream destination for people in the U.S., and we’d like to make it a top-five dream destination for Japan and throughout Asia. Japan is Colorado’s fourth-largest source of foreign investment, and we want to help companies expand by taking advantage of Colorado’s competitive business environment and highly educated workforce.”