United bets on Africa, India and Hawaii in 2021 expansion

United is setting its sights on Africa and India, regions that have long been minor players in its network as it tries to expand as profitably as possible during the coronavirus pandemic. The airline on Wednesday said next spring it will launch three weekly nonstop flights from Washington Dulles International Airport to Accra, Ghana, and Lagos, Nigeria, a bid for travelers visiting friends and family. It had discontinued a Houston-to-Lagos route, at the time its only Africa flight, in 2016 in the wake of the oil bust. United will also add a daily nonstop flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Johannesburg, adding to the South Africa service it launched with a Cape Town flight last December as it chases leisure travellers. “We are looking to places where we have low share that has more upside for the future United and our travelers,” said United’s CCO, Andrew Nocella. The airline is also planning to add daily service to Bangalore, India, from San Francisco next summer, a move that aims to capture business travelers between the two major tech hubs. That sets it up for a battle with American Airlines, which is planning to launch a flight from Seattle to Bangalore this winter. United will also add daily nonstop flights between Chicago and New Delhi late this year. “Bangalore has been one of the most requested destinations at United over the last few years,” said Nocella, adding that United could expand service beyond a once-daily flight there later on. The new flights’ success hinges on how the pandemic develops and a web of travel advisories and restrictions. Dozens of countries remain off limits for U.S. citizens, including most of Europe. <br/>