United says 787-9 is right jet for Singapore-LA route

United is confident that the economics of the Boeing 787-9 aircraft will make its upcoming Los Angeles-Singapore service work. "Los Angeles has been on the horizon for a while, and we feel the 787-9 is the right aircraft, with the right fuel consumption," says Alison Espley, MD for Japan and Pacific sales at United Airlines. "The aircraft is what makes it possible." When asked about payload restrictions given the long distance of the service, Espley said that it may be necessary to "hold some seats" on Singapore-bound services during the northern winter months. She adds, however, that the carrier's San Francisco-Singapore service, which also uses 787-9s, is "performing well." She adds that United expects strong local demand in Singapore for the LA flight, which is timed to provide connections to over 20 US cities. United will launch the LA-Singapore service on 29 October. The Singapore-LA leg, UA37, will be roughly 15 hours, 15 minutes. The LA-Singapore leg, UA38, will be 17 hours, 55 minutes. The 8,700 mile flight, claims United, will the longest flight to or from the United States. The aircraft will carry 252 passengers: 48 in business, 88 in economy plus, and 116 in economy class.<br/>