Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is no stranger to widebody aircraft. The hub hosts a variety of large, long-haul aircraft from operators like American Airlines, British Airways, and Air France. However, the airport got an unusual guest from United Airlines.
The Chicago-based carrier does not have a hub in Phoenix and does not operate any long-haul flights from Arizona, but recently sent its largest aircraft to Sky Harbor.
Interestingly, despite the aircraft's massive size, it landed on the airport's shortest runway. At first glance, this aircraft operation seems very unusual or even potentially dangerous.
However, upon closer inspection, the surprising visit from one of United's Boeing 777-300ERaircraft makes a lot of sense.
The aircraft was ferried from San Francisco empty, and later delivered the Chicago Cubs from spring training to Tokyo to play in a series.
United's largest aircraft visits Phoenix
It is not often that one of United's widebody aircraft visits Phoenix. The airport is a hub for American and one of the biggest bases for Southwest Airlines, as well. In fact, the airport is Southwest's third-busiest destination by average daily aircraft movements.
Between these two carriers, there is little room for other carriers in the Phoenix market.
While both airlines dominate the domestic market, American also operates some long-haul and international services from PHX. That's part of the reason why seeing a United 777 is a rare sight for the airport.
However, on March 11, 2025, a United's 777-300ER registered as N2332U touched down on Phoenix's shortest runway at around 15:06 local time.
According to FlightAware, the aircraft had flown in from United's hub at San Francisco International Airport(SFO), which it had departed from at 13:11 local time.
The flight took about one hour and 55 minutes to complete, and the aircraft's flight path took it down south along central California before making a westward turn for Phoenix over the southern part of the state.
The flight hit a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet, though the short duration of the flight meant it did not stay there for long.
Despite being United's largest aircraft (and the largest commercial aircraft operated by any US carrier), N2332U touched down on Phoenix Airport's Runway 25L.
This is the shortest runway at the airport, so at first glance, this could seem like a dangerous error made for a plane of that size. After all, Runway 25L is only 7,800 feet long, according to Sky Harbor.
However, a Boeing 777-300 might only need just over 5,000 feet to land if the aircraft is empty and the runway is dry, according to F.A.R Landing Runway Length Requirements for the aircraft model.
Requirements change based on weight, pressure altitude, and runway conditions, but if the 777 was not carrying many passengers, it makes sense it was sent to land on Runway 25L. United does not regularly send its 777 to Phoenix, so why was it there earlier this month?
The Chicago Cubs were headed to the Tokyo series
It is currently spring training season, so many Major League Baseball teams have headed south to prepare for the upcoming season. The Chicago Cubs were no exception, having traveled down to Arizona to train.
However, the team was leaving right from spring training to travel to Tokyo, Japan, to kick off its season at the Tokyo Dome.
Thus, the Cubs chartered an aircraft from United to fly them to Tokyo. The aircraft arrived in Phoenix to pick up the team, and left for Asia just a few hours after its initial arrival in Phoenix.
According to FlightAware, the aircraft left Phoenix at 19:24 local time, and embarked on a 12-hour and 14-minute journey across the Pacific Ocean. It arrived at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) at 23:38 local time the next day, March 12, 2025.
The flight path took the 777-300ER north across the western United States, flying over Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and the southernmost part of Washington before heading Northwest over the Pacific Ocean. It crossed north of the Aleutian Islands, and traveled south off the coast of Russia before arriving at Japan's capital.
The flight arrived at Haneda Airport, which is much closer to central Tokyo than the alternative Narita Airport, where many US flights arrive from as well.
The flight cruised at 32,000 feet and hit a maximum speed of 549 miles per hour. The aircraft that operated the flight is eight years old, according to Planespotters.net. It was first delivered from Paine Field to United's San Francisco hub at the very end of December 2016.
This makes it one of the oldest 777-300ER models in the airline's fleet. Since its initial delivery, this aircraft has operated exclusively for United.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs were among the first to play a season-opening game in Tokyo.
The team did so in 2000, when they played a two-game series against the New York Mets. 25 years after that landmark game, the team is back in Tokyo to compete against the Los Angeles Dodgers to kick the 2025 season off.
This will be the sixth time a major league series has been held in Tokyo. The games were hosted at the Tokyo Dome, an entertainment venue located just north of the city's central business district.
After finishing the games on Wednesday, the team returned to the United States in time to play the San Diego Padres in a few short days following their arrival. Following this, the team will have a second "opener" game in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Major league baseball in the United States has a lot of Japanese fans, acting as yet another cultural tie between America and Japan.
The Boeing 777-300ER is the largest aircraft in United's fleet
United has the largest mainline fleet of any commercial airline in the world. This fleet ranges in size, with smaller narrowbody aircraft like the Airbus A319 and Boeing 737-700 offering the lowest capacity of any mainline jet.
Meanwhile, widebody aircraft like the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner claim the top spot in United's fleet in terms of capacity.
The 777-300ER is the largest aircraft in the United fleet. The aircraft is configured to seat 350 passengers in a three-class layout: Polaris Business Class, Premium Plus, and Economy (split between Economy Plus and Economy).
This aircraft features a premium-heavy layout, which aligns with United's strategy of targeting high-paying business travelers and affluent leisure travelers:
|
Cabin |
Seats |
|
Polaris (Business Class) |
60 |
|
Premium Plus |
24 |
|
Economy Plus |
62 |
|
Economy |
204 |
In these cabins, United passengers can enjoy different amenities and features. Polaris tickets come with lounge access to provide passengers a more pleasant experience at the airport prior to boarding.
Polaris seats are located at the front of the aircraft, and offer lie-flat beds, 22" wide seats, power outlets, USB ports, and a larger in-flight entertainment screen.
Meanwhile, Premium Plus, which is United's long-haul premium economy product, offers enhanced comfort at a lower price.
These seats, which are similar to the airline's domestic first class product, offer 38" of pitch, larger seat-back entertainment screens, and 18.5" in width. The cabin is configured less densely, and is arranged in a 2-4-2 layout.
United's Economy and Economy Plus products are very similar, though Economy Plus offers more pitch and recline than the airline's standard coach seats. Economy Plus seating offers 34" of pitch and 4" of recline.
Meanwhile, Economy seats only have 31" of pitch and 3" of recline. Economy class starts at row 30 on the aircraft, just behind the overwing exits, and ends at row 58, just ahead of the rear galley.
United frequently deploys its Boeing 777-300ER to Asian destinations
While United's Phoenix to Tokyo Haneda service was a charter flight, the airline frequently flies its largest aircraft to destinations in Asia, specifically from the West Coast of the United States. Last month (February 2025), the airline flew the aircraft on the following Asian routes from America:
- San Francisco to Tokyo Narita
- San Francisco to Beijing
- San Francisco to Shanghai
- San Francisco to Taipei
- San Francisco to Hong Kong
- San Francisco to Manila
- Honolulu to Guam
While United's 777-300ER strategy is primarily composed of Asian routes, the carrier also did serve other routes with its flagship aircraft last month. These routes were:
- San Francisco to Honolulu
- Washington Dulles to Brussels
- Washington Dulles to Frankfurt
- San Francisco to Frankfurt
It is not often that airports like Phoenix receive a United 777-300ER. With extenuating circumstances warranting the aircraft's visit to Arizona, its appearance gave aviation spotters and enthusiasts in Phoenix a special sight.
The aircraft plays a vital role in United's robust Asian network, and its large capacity and long range make it a versatile and well-suited aircraft for United's operations.
