United Airlines has inaugurated its new nonstop service between its hub at Washington Dulles International Airport and Murtala Muhammed International Airport with the arrival of the first flight into Lagos today.
With three weekly flights, United is the first and only airline serving Washington, D.C. nonstop from Lagos. The flight is operated with state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring United’s award-winning United PolarisSM business class cabin and United Premium PlusSM premium economy seats.
The new service marks United’s return to Nigeria, which the airline previously served up until 2016.
A water cannon salute marked the arrival of United flight UA612 with Oluwatomi Bola-Sadipe, United’s Country Sales Manager Nigeria, Victoria Shin-Aba, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Regional General Manager and Claire Pierangelo, U.S. Consul General welcoming the first arriving United customers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
“This new flight from Lagos reinforces our ongoing commitment to growing our network in Africa and providing more convenient service to the destinations our customers want to fly to most,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s Senior Vice President International Network Planning and Alliances. “This highly anticipated service will provide a key gateway between Lagos and Washington D.C., as well as easy one-stop connections to almost 80 destinations across the Americas, including Houston and Chicago.”
“This exciting initiative further expands our economic relationship, promotes people-to-people ties, and creates new opportunities for United, travel companies, and customers alike,” said Mary Beth Leonard, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria.
This new flight builds on United’s expansion into Africa and solidifies the airline’s leadership position from Africa to the U.S. Earlier this year, United launched new service between Johannesburg and New York/Newark and between Accra and Washington, D.C.
This December and January, United will increase its Accra service from three weekly flights to daily. United will also bring back its popular nonstop service between Cape Town and New York/Newark on 1 December 2021.
United’s new flights comply with each countries’ COVID-19 protocols and customers should check destination requirements before travelling.
Lagos (LOS) – Washington Dulles (IAD)
| Flight | From | To | Depart | Arrive | Frequency | Aircraft | Dates of operation |
| UA613 | LOS | IAD | 11:50 pm | 6:00 am | Tues, Fri, Sun | Boeing 787 | 1 Dec 2021 – 11 Mar 2022 |
| UA613 | LOS | IAD | 10:50 pm | 6:00 am | Tues, Fri, Sun | Boeing 787 | 13 Mar – 25 Mar 2022 |
| UA613 | LOS | IAD | 11:55 pm | 6:10 am | Tues, Fri, Sun | Boeing 787 | 27 Mar 2022 onwards |
Note: First operation from LOS is on a Wednesday.
Washington Dulles (IAD) – Lagos (LOS)
| Flight | From | To | Depart | Arrive | Frequency | Aircraft | Dates of operation |
| UA612 | IAD | LOS | 6:30 pm | 10.40 am | Mon, Thurs, Sat | Boeing 787 | 29 Nov 21- 12 Mar 2022 |
| UA612 | IAD | LOS | 6:30 pm | 9:40 am | Mon, Thurs, Sat | Boeing 787 | 14 Mar – 24 Mar 2022 |
| UA612 | IAD | LOS | 6:30 pm | 10:30 am | Mon, Thurs, Sat | Boeing 787 | 26 Mar 2022 onwards |
All times are local.
United customers in Nigeria can book flights online by visiting united.com, visiting the United Ticket Office (United Airlines, 3rd Floor Aviation Plaza, 3 Kodesho Street, Ikeja, Lagos) Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., contacting United Reservations on 07000334444 or their travel agent.
The United Travel Experience
United’s new service from Lagos to Washington D.C. is operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 28 United Polaris business class lie-flat seats, 21 United Premium Plus premium economy seats, 36 Economy PlusSM seats and 158 standard
economy seats. This flight is the only service between Nigeria and the U.S. to offer a premium economy product.
The revolutionary design of the Dreamliner offers customers many features for increased comfort, such as large windows, spacious overhead storage and modern LED lighting to simulate a full day, helping passengers adjust their internal clock on the transatlantic flight. In addition, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and smoother ride help customers feel rested on arrival.
United Polaris business class is a premium travel experience that prioritises relaxation and comfort, featuring restaurant-quality inflight dining, premium amenity kits and full flat-bed seats.
Committed to Ensuring a Safe Journey
United is committed to putting health and safety at the forefront of every customer’s journey, with the goal of delivering an industry-leading standard of cleanliness through its United CleanPlus℠ program. United has teamed up with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic to redefine cleaning and health safety procedures from check-in to landing and has implemented more than a dozen new policies, protocols and innovations designed with the safety of customers and employees in mind. Customers can review COVID-19 entry requirements, find local testing options and upload any required testing and vaccination records for domestic and international travel, all in United’s Travel Ready Center. United was the first airline to integrate all these features into its mobile app and website.
United Next
United is more focused than ever on its commitment to customers and employees. In addition to today’s announcement, United has recently:
• Launched an ambitious plan to transform the United customer experience by adding and upgrading hundreds of aircraft as well as investing in features like larger overhead bins, seatback entertainment in every seat and the industry’s fastest available Wi-Fi.
• Announced a goal to create 25,000 unionized jobs by 2026 that includes careers as pilots, flight attendants, agents, technicians, and dispatchers.
• Announced that United will train at least 5,000 pilots by 2030 through the United Aviate Academy, with the plan of at least half being women and people of color.
• Required all U.S. employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
• Became the first airline to offer customers the ability to check their destination’s travel requirements, schedule COVID-19 tests and more on its mobile app and website.
• Invested in emerging technologies that are designed to decarbonize air travel, like an agreement to work with urban air mobility company Archer, an investment in aircraft startup Heart Aerospace and a purchase agreement with Boom Supersonic.
• Committed to going 100% green by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050, without relying on traditional carbon offsets.
• Eliminated change fees for all economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S.
About United
United’s shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” In 2019, United and United Express® carriers operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than
162 million customers. United has the most comprehensive route network among North American carriers, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. For more about how to join the United team, please visit united.com/careers and more information about the company is at united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.
