United Airlines began offering direct flights on Sunday night between Newark Liberty International Airport and Cape Town International Airport in South Africa.

The carrier says the new nonstop service decreases the current travel time by more than four hours and provides customers from more than 80 American cities direct access to Cape Town.

United’s service between Newark and Cape Town operates with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft featuring 48 seats in United Polaris business class, 88 seats in United Economy Plus and 116 seats in United Economy.

“Adding Cape Town to our global network from our hub at Newark Liberty International Airport is a thrilling and historic moment for us at United,” Jill Kaplan, United president of New York and New Jersey, said at a gate event Sunday evening celebrating the launch. “By launching this new route, we proudly open up South Africa and the region to our leisure customers who have South Africa on their bucket list as well those corporate customers seeking an efficient route within non-stop service for their business needs.”