United Airlines has requested authorization from the United States Department of Transportation to begin passenger, cargo, and mail services between Los Angeles and Beijing starting May 1, 2025, using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The U.S. airline is allowed 28 weekly flights between the U.S. and the Chinese capital, and with this proposed route, it aims to enhance travel options.
United’s proposed flight departs Los Angeles at 11:10 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, arriving in Beijing two days later at 4:45 AM. On the return leg, it departs Beijing at 12:00 PM on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, landing the same day in Los Angeles at 9:35 AM.
Currently, the only airline operating between Beijing and Los Angeles is Air China. If the proposal is realized, United will be the only U.S. airline operating in this segment. Before the pandemic, American Airlines also offered services between Los Angeles and the Chinese capital.
There is currently a limit of 50 weekly flights between China and the United States, and United’s request does not affect the current level of frequencies between the two countries. The ongoing conflict of the Ukraine-Russia war has impacted flights between the U.S. and mainland China, complicating United’s return to routes from Newark, Chicago O’Hare, and Washington-Dulles.