Optimism soars with arrival of first-ever Haneda-to-Guam flight, courtesy of United Airlines

At 11:55 p.m. local time on May 1, United Airlines Flight 848 departed from the Tokyo-Haneda International Airport for the first-ever Haneda-to-Guam commercial flight. A Guam official said it took nearly 30 years to turn this into a reality.

United officials said the inaugural flight, using a 166-passenger Boeing 737, was fully-booked.

The airline and local tourism officials have said they are counting on the new flight to help boost Japanese arrivals, which have fallen well below pre-pandemic levels. Guam Visitors Bureau data shows the once dominant Japan market now represents just 16% of total visitor arrivals.

Ahead of the departure, the airline held a ribbon-cutting and celebration at the departure gate, 149.

Passengers received gift bags, and a photo area was set up where they could pose for “selfies” wearing pilot’s hats and funny glasses, and also where they could hold up signs with slogans such as “Hafa Adai,” and “Haneda-Guam.”

Passengers Hodaka Kaneda and his wife Misaki, speaking with the help of an interpreter, said they were excited about their trip to Guam. The smiling couple said they especially look forward to “sightseeing, marine sports and shopping.”

Hodaka said they chose the Haneda flight because it’s “very convenient.” They live in Saitama prefecture, which is a part of the greater Tokyo area, he said.

Also boarding the flight were best friends Saki Matsumiya and Rei Utaka. Speaking through an interpreter, they said they were from Tokyo and it would be their second trip to Guam.

The friends said they’re excited to visit Guam’s beaches where they plan to go para-sailing. When asked what else they look forward to, both exclaimed with a wide grin in English, “shopping.”

Onuma Rui was part of a group of social media influencers that was invited to Guam. She said she is “so happy” to be part of the inaugural Haneda-Guam flight. She said she would be letting her followers know that Guam is only three and a half hours away, and there would be “plenty of fun going beach and shopping.”

The passengers received warm greetings upon arrival at the A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport. The halls from just past the jetway to the customs area were lined with representatives from United, GVB, the Guam International Airport Authority, and Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, who waved and greeted them.

The travelers received leis as they approached their designated baggage carousel.

Waiting in the customs hall to greet them was GVB President and CEO Carl Gutierrez.

“It’s so important to Guam that you can see the entire Guam network here greeting these first travelers to Guam on Flight 848. I hope with our presence like this, to showcase United, to showcase Japan, that it is indeed a very important flight for Guam because we’ve been trying to get Haneda for almost 30 years,” he said.

GVB will conduct a promotional tour for the Haneda flight in Japan from May 8 to 11, Gutierrez said.

United will now fly daily between Haneda and Guam. United Flight 848 departs Tokyo at 11:55 p.m. United Flight 849 departs Guam at 7:05 p.m.

Prior to this, Guam flights to Japan were routed to Narita International Airport, located 37 miles outside of the center of Tokyo.

Haneda is closer to the city’s downtown area, and also hosts a number of domestic flights that can easily connect travelers to areas across Japan.