Gov. Bev Perdue has announced new nonstop service between the Research Triangle Region and San Francisco. United Airlines will offer the daily service beginning Aug. 15 on a Boeing 737-800.
"By strengthening the air service connection between the two coasts and Asia, we are creating more opportunities for N.C. businesses to be more competitive and to create more jobs for North Carolinians," Perdue said during a news conference earlier this week.
The announcement came after growing demand for nonstop service between RDU and San Francisco, a major metropolitan area and home to various industry sectors that are complementary to the Research Triangle Region. It also is a popular leisure destination and gateway to locations in the Pacific Rim.
"United is pleased to offer Raleigh-Durham travelers the convenience of nonstop service to San Francisco, improved access to the nation's largest technology center, and the additional connections to and from Asia that this service will enable," says Ron Baur, United's vice president of fleet. "We look forward to partnering with airport, business and civic leaders to support the success of this service and the increased economic development and tourism it will facilitate."
Service to San Francisco has been a top priority for RDU officials and local business leaders who have ties to businesses on the West Coast, as well as to those seeking more connections to Asia.
"We all share in the celebration for this new service because as a community we worked together to bring this flight to RDU today," says Michael Landguth, RDU's airport director. "Businesses, particularly the life sciences and technology sectors, have been very vocal about the importance of this flight to their ongoing success and ability to grow and compete. The region's economic developers have worked closely with RDU to illustrate the strength of our market and the growing demand for service to the West Coast and Asia."
The flight will begin on Aug. 14 from SFO. The first flight from RDU will be on Aug. 15 with a departure from RDU at 7 a.m. The flight's arrival at SFO at 9:50 a.m. local time is aligned with outbound Asia flight departures in the 11 o'clock hour. With the new service, passengers soon will be able to connect to places like Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Kahului, Hawaii. The flight departs San Francisco at 1 p.m. and arrives at RDU at 9 p.m.
To learn more, visit www.rdu.com.