United Airlines maintains key Pacific gateway with ongoing service from Guam

United’s service to Guam dates back to the late 1960s through Air Micronesia, a subsidiary of Continental Airlines that began flying there in 1968. The “Island Hopper” route, established by Continental Micronesia, connected Hawaii to Guam via several remote islands and became central to the carrier’s business by the late 1990s. Following Continental Airlines’ merger with United in the 2010s and eventual integration by early 2017, United maintained and even expanded its presence in Guam.

Currently, United operates up to 13 daily flights from Guam to destinations across five countries, moving nearly one million passengers annually within this region. Key routes include daily flights between Guam and Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for this nearly eight-hour journey.

United also maintains strong connections from Guam to Japan with multiple daily or daily flights to Narita International Airport (NRT) and Haneda Airport (HND) in Tokyo; Kansai International Airport (KIX) in Osaka; and Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) in Nagoya. Other notable services include twice-weekly flights to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) in Taipei; regular service to Palau International Airport (ROR); daily flights to Saipan International Airport (SPN); and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in Manila.

A distinctive part of United's Pacific operations remains the Island Hopper route between Honolulu and Guam with stops at seven islands: Marshall Islands International Airport (MAJ), Bucholz Army Airfield on Kwajalein Atoll (KWA), Kosrae International Airport (KSA), Pohnpei International Airport (PNI), Chuuk International Airport (TKK), among others. This flight runs three or four times weekly using Boeing 737-800 aircraft equipped with spare parts and extra crew due to unique operational requirements like short runways.

The airline bases several aircraft at Guam airport for these operations. While widebody Boeing 777-300ER jets are used exclusively for Honolulu-Guam service, most other routes use narrowbody Boeing 737 variants—primarily the -800 model but also -700s for shorter trips and -900ERs for longer regional journeys. United operates nearly 150 Boeing 737-800s configured into four different layouts for various seating capacities.

United Airlines continues flying to Guam because of its geographic significance as a gateway between Asia-Pacific destinations—including Japan, Philippines, Micronesia—and mainland U.S., particularly Hawaii. The legacy stems from Continental Micronesia’s original mission starting in 1968: linking island communities with broader global networks—a role now inherited by United following their merger.

In recent years, tourism demand from Japan and South Korea has grown along with steady travel needs between Guam and the Philippines due to economic ties. Today United remains dominant on these routes as it sustains vital air links throughout this Pacific region.