United Airlines flight UA207 made history as the first-ever direct passenger flight between the United States and South Australia when it landed at Adelaide Airport from San Francisco on 13 December 2025.
The inaugural, nonstop seasonal route links the USA and SA directly for the first time with United’s Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner livery sporting a special ‘Adelaide’ stamp for the historic occasion.
The new service also means United is the only airline with nonstop routes between the US and four Australian cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and now Adelaide.
The thrice-weekly seasonal service will operate until March 2026, flying on United’s Dreamliner aircraft with 257 seats, including 48 Polaris business class flatbed seats.
Clocking in at just under 16 hours (less from ADL-SFO), the new route opens up connections to more than 40 US destinations, plus onward links to more than 100 cities worldwide from its San Francisco hub.
The SA route also serves as a one-stop connection for Perth travellers, who are currently not served by a direct US route.
United Airlines Senior Vice President – Network Planning & Alliances Patrick Quayle said: “Being the first airline to provide service between Adelaide and the US is an exciting step for United and for travellers on both sides of the Pacific.”
Adelaide Airport CEO Brenton Cox said the connection has been decades in the making.
“[It] opens up an entirely new continent for South Australians heading abroad, tourism operators looking to attract US visitors and businesses seeking new export markets,” he said.
SA Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said South Australia now has more international connections than ever before.
“Welcoming United Airlines to Adelaide Airport is historic – our first direct link to the United States. The addition of new international flights into Adelaide is a massive vote of confidence in our state as a visitor destination, and as a place to do business,” she said.
The ADL-SFO service departs Adelaide on Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 11:05pm, arriving in San Francisco at 9:30am.
Read our recent review of United’s Brisbane–San Francisco Economy service here.
For more info, visit united.com
KARRYON UNPACKS: United’s new Adelaide–San Francisco route increases Australia–US connectivity, opening a fresh gateway for tourism, trade and aviation growth while giving South Australian travellers (and advisors) long-awaited direct access to the USA.
