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United to add more capacity at this West Coast airport

United increases capacity in San Francisco

By Mark Reif Published April 8, 2025

Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco — San Francisco Ragnar Vorel via Unsplash / Unsplash

United Airlines will continue its expansion at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) by adding 20 percent more flights in 2025. The airline’s SFO schedule is already above pre-pandemic levels, up six percent since 2019 and 20 percent compared to last year. Once summer 2025 arrives, United will offer around 300 daily flights from SFO, traveling to 111 cities worldwide.

United keeps investing in SFO

United CEO Scott Kirby said: “We’re winning more and more Bay Area customers because of our investments in the product, the experience and the places we fly. Our growth in SFO is a direct result of United’s ambitious network strategy, which has set us apart from the competition and cemented our status as the world’s largest airline.”

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United has added nine new domestic destinations and 11 new international destinations from SFO in the past four years. Examples include new routes to San Jose, Costa Rica, and Panama City, Panama, which begin this month. The airline also resumed service to Detroit, Kansas City, New Orleans, and St. Louis. United also uses SFO as a gateway to Latin American travel, including routes to Belize and Monterrey, Mexico, which were added in 2024.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie added: “San Francisco’s economy is on the rise, and tourism is critical to our comeback. Our city is a global destination – United’s expansion shows that people want to be here. These new flights will provide jobs for residents and make it easier for visitors to come here so they can experience everything that makes San Francisco the place to be.”

SFO is in the midst of a significant renovation, which includes updating and expanding Terminal 3. That’ll help United grow even more in the future. The airline also benefits the community by employing 13,000 Bay Area team members, with plans to hire 1,200 more in 2025.

Mark Reif is a storyteller focused on the intersection of outdoor culture, travel, and design. From the peaks of Banff to the…

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