UNITED AIRLINES AND DENVER SAY "KONNICHIWA" TO TOKYO

DENVER, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines (NYSE: UAL) today announced plans to launch daily, nonstop flights between its Denver hub and its hub at Tokyo Narita International Airport, effective March 31, 2013, subject to government approval. Eastbound service from Tokyo begins April 1. United will operate the service with state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

"I want to recognize the efforts of Mayor Hancock, Kim Day, Manager of Aviation, and her team at Denver International Airport, and the business and civic leaders in Denver who have worked together to bring this great new international destination to our customers in Denver," said Jeff Smisek, United's President and CEO. "Our customers will enjoy the direct, nonstop service on our new Boeing Dreamliner aircraft, which will provide a spectacular flying experience."

"Opening this next frontier of opportunity with a nonstop flight to Tokyo will create new jobs, generate more than $130 million in annual economic benefit to Colorado, and elevate Denver as a world-class city on the global stage," said Mayor Michael Hancock. "Together with many of our business and civic partners, we have worked for nearly a decade to secure this flight. Thank you to United Airlines for their commitment to the Denver market and DIA." 

United offers more flights to more destinations worldwide from Denver than any other airline, with almost 400 peak day departures to 125 destinations throughout the year. United flies to nearly 50 more cities than the next largest carrier at Denver International Airport. This flight will be the city's first nonstop service to Asia. Additionally, together with its joint venture partner ANA, United will offer seamless connections at Narita to or from more than 20 destinations in Asia. United is one of Denver's largest private employers, with nearly 5,000 employees who proudly call Denver home.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

United will operate the service with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with 219 seats—36 in BusinessFirst and 183 in United Economy, including 63 Economy Plus seats with extra legroom. United BusinessFirst features flat-bed seats, along with a wide range of premium-cabin services and amenities.

Customers on the flights will experience the aircraft's many passenger-friendly features including improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin pressure altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other features. The aircraft's use of light-weight composites, together with its modern engines and improved aerodynamic design, allow it to fly farther, faster and more efficiently than similar sized conventional aircraft.

Convenient Schedules

United flight 123 will depart Denver daily at 11:55 a.m. and arrive in Tokyo at 3 p.m. the next day. Flight 122 will depart Tokyo's Narita International Airport at 4:40 p.m. and arrive in Denver at 12:30 p.m. the same day.

The flight is now available for sale on united.com and other distribution channels.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,605 flights a day to 375 airports on six continents from our hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. In 2011, United carried more traffic than any other airline in the world, and operated more than two million flights carrying 142 million passengers. United is upgrading its cabins with more flat-bed seats in first and business class and more extra-legroom economy-class seating than any other airline in North America. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft and has orders for more than 125 new aircraft deliveries from 2012 through 2019, including 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 25 Airbus A350XWBs. United was rated the world's most admired airline on FORTUNE magazine's 2012 airline-industry list of the World's Most Admired Companies. Readers of Global Traveler magazine have voted United's MileagePlus program the best frequent flyer program for eight consecutive years. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 190 countries via 25 member airlines. More than 85,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com or follow United on Twitter and Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

SOURCE United Continental Holdings, Inc.