From December this year, South Australians will be able to enjoy the first ever direct flight to the United States.
The new nonstop connection between Adelaide and San Francisco will deliver a huge boost to the economy through tourism and trade, including for business events and conferences.
It also means South Australians will no longer have to travel via Melbourne, Brisbane or Sydney to catch a connecting flight to the US.
Commencing as a seasonal service departing San Francisco on 11 December and subject to government approvals, the 15-hour flight will operate three times per week until March – with a possibility to increase in the future as demand grows. The first flight will depart Adelaide for San Francisco on 13 December 2025.
The flight will operate on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with 257 seats, including 48 in United Polaris Business Class and 21 in United Premium Plus. Tickets are now on sale.
Adelaide Airport Ltd Managing Director Brenton Cox said the announcement, which had been decades in the making, would directly benefit business, investment and the state's broader tourism economy.
"United Airlines has seized this opportunity, and they will benefit greatly from this commitment to Adelaide and South Australia," Mr Cox said.
"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.
"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 said United was aware that direct flights had a big impact when it came to people deciding where to travel.
"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 nonstop service between the US and four major cities in Australia," he said.
United Airlines is the world’s largest airline as measured by available seat miles and operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers.
When the new flight launches, United will become the only airline with nonstop service to four Australian cities — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
For the year ending December 2024, there were 669,000 trips from the US to Australia with visitors spending $2 billion.
