NEW DELHI: United will launch the first nonstop between south India and the US next May. The airline announced the San Francisco (SFO) – Bengaluru (BLR) flight will start on May 6, 2021, with the return flight two days later. The Chicago-Delhi route will start from December 10, 2020, with the return flight two days later. United had announced these two new daily nonstops about a month back and has now given the launch dates for the same.
“At 8,701 miles (about 14,003 km), the BLR-SFO nonstop will be the longest route to be operated by US carriers. This route, at this point in time, will be third in the ranking for longest routes operated by all carriers,” a United spokesperson had said recently.
Pre-pandemic, United had a daily on Newark-Delhi and Newark-Mumbai routes. Its SFO-Delhi was to be a daily in winter and thrice weekly in summer. United is now operating some flights under the air bubble India has created with the US.

American Airlines was to start a Bengaluru-Seattle nonstop from this winter but due to the pandemic that has been postponed by a year. Among Indian carriers, Air India is the only one that flies nonstop to US destinations like New York, Newark, Washington, Chicago and SFO.