United Airlines To Complete Boeing 737 MAX 8 Guam Swap Out 2 Months Earlier Than Planned

Published Jul 17, 2026, 2:44 PM EDT Journalist - Aaron joins the Simple Flying team with 14 years of experience in the travel & tourism industry. He has a background in airports and travel consulting for global companies in New Zealand, Europe, and North America. An Avid traveler, Aaron has visited 52+ countries across five continents. Based in Canterbury, New Zealand Star Alliance carrier United Airlines is poised to complete its Boeing 737-800 swap out for Guam-based fleet earlier than planned, with the 737 MAX 8 now set to operate all intra-Asia/Pacific flights on Narita International Airport (NRT) in Tokyo by the end of this month. This will see the airline resume its flights to Saipan (SPN) from August 2. As noted in a report by AeroRoutes, United confirmed it had updated its schedule to reflect the aircraft changes, with 737 operations at Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM) shifting to all MAX 8 operations from October 1, instead of December, which was the initially planned date for full transition. All Boeing 737 MAX 8 Operations For Intra-Asia Flights Earlier Than Planned Credit: Shutterstock The first route to be operated exclusively with the MAX 8 is the NRT- Mactan Cebu International Airport (CEB) service, which starts on Friday. This is set to be followed by NRT to Kaohsiung, which will commence on Saturday. All flights from Guam to Narita are scheduled to operate with the MAX 8 from Sunday. United also operates several other Asia/Pacific routes with the type, and services to Ulaanbaatar and Palau are already using the newer generation aircraft. The first MAX 8 arrived in Guam in mid-March and has been sporadically deployed on routes between Guam and Narita, depending on the route and date. The airline commented on the equipment changes in a statement obtained by Flights In Asia last month. “United's narrowbody flights from NRT are expected to be operated by 737 MAX 8 aircraft by the end of July, with the exception of Saipan services, which are scheduled to resume on August 2. Please note that these plans remain subject to change.” 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8 To Replace Older 737-800s Credit: Shutterstock United maintains a base at Guam, the westernmost point and territory of the US. The airline inherited the operations at the airport from Continental Airlines and maintains operations to a range of destinations in the region, and connects to its wider network from Tokyo Narita and Honolulu. It set out a plan to replace the aging 737-800s based at Guam and invested heavily in airport upgrades, including new check-in kiosks and stalls, to align with the introduction of the new aircraft. The new planes include the NEXT interior and offer seatback entertainment at every seat. High-speed WiFi is also planned for these aircraft, with the service to be offered by Starlink. It is worth noting that this service is not yet active, but in the pipeline. Five Routes Move To MAX 8 Only Operations In October Credit: Shutterstock The five routes that will now see MAX 8 operations from October 1 include Guam to Manila , Nagoya, Osaka International Airport (KIX), Taipei, and Haneda Airport (HND). Additionally, the airline will resume services between Narita and Saipan from August 2, operating thrice weekly with the upgraded aircraft. United operates a strategic hub in Tokyo, with fifth-freedom flights that allow the airline to serve other key Asian markets from Japan. This is built to then feed into the wider mainland US flights offered from Narita, on either United or All Nippon Airways (ANA). Region Destinations Served By United From Tokyo Narita Asia Cebu, Guam, Kaohsiung, Koro, Saipan, and Ulaanbaatar United States Chicago (from October 25), Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, and San Francisco From Guam, United remains the largest carrier at the airport, with services to Chuuk, Honolulu, Koror, Kosrae, Kwajalein, Majuro, Manila, Nagoya, Osaka, Pohnpei, Saipan, Taipei, Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo Narita, and Yap. No other mainland US carrier serves Guam, and United feeds the majority of its passengers to the mainland US via Honolulu or Tokyo. United's move to replace its aging 737-800s at Guam will allow the airline to offer longer nonstop flights and operate with heavier cargo loads to this isolated region. The new aircraft upgrade has been welcomed by locals who now enjoy the enhanced passenger experience.