United Airlines' "fuel-optimised" flight for the Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (Aspire) will depart from Sydney for San Francisco on 14 November using a Boeing 747-400.

Signed by US, New Zealand and Australian air navigation service providers in February, the Aspire agreement intends to accelerate the development and implementation of operational procedures to reduce the environmental footprint for all phases of flight.

United's "optimised" flight follows a similar Air New Zealand 777 service from Auckland to San Francisco on 12 September and a Qantas A380 operation on 22 October between Melbourne to Los Angeles.

United Airlines 747
 © Keith Blinkow/AirTeamImages.com

Source: Flight International