RDU Airport, NC – In a special news conference today at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Gov. Bev Perdue announced new non-stop service between the Research Triangle Region and San Francisco. United Airlines will offer the daily service from RDU beginning August 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,” said Gov. Bev Perdue.

The announcement came after growing demand for non-stop service between RDU and San Francisco, a major metropolitan area and home to various industry sectors that are complimentary to the Research Triangle Region. It is also 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,” said 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 and 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,” said Michael Landguth, RDU 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 Wed., 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. Following are just some of the cities passengers will be able to connect to: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Kahului, Hawaii.

The flight departs San Francisco at 12:50 p.m. and arrives at RDU at 8:50 p.m.

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