Proposed new daily nonstop flight from
San Francisco and Washington
National will provide more options and flexibility for travelers,
as well as easy connections to more than 30 destinations in
United's network
CHICAGO, July 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today filed an application with
the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for a new daily
roundtrip flight between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
(DCA) and San Francisco
International Airport (SFO).
If approved, the new route will give customers more nonstop
options between DCA and SFO and provide connections from SFO to
about two dozen domestic markets within the Western U.S. – as well
as seven international destinations. At least nine of these
destinations are without United connection options to DCA via
San Francisco today. Furthermore,
United's proposed route seeks to avoid the busiest travel times at
DCA, which is already one of the most congested airports in the
country.
"With our hub in San Francisco,
United is well positioned to serve the strong customer demand for
air travel between Washington National and the Bay Area," said
Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice
President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United
Airlines. "If awarded by the DOT, this new service will give
customers a unique morning departure from Washington National and a
unique afternoon departure from San
Francisco, as well as more connectivity for both domestic
and international travelers via SFO."
United's proposed flight would avoid the most congested travel
times at DCA and provide additional scheduling options to customers
by offering for the first time a morning departure from DCA to SFO
and an afternoon departure from SFO to DCA. United plans to use the
Boeing MAX 8 aircraft, with 150 economy cabin seats and 166 total
seats.
The Washington, D.C. region is a major center of commerce,
hosting over 15 Fortune 500 companies, and is a hub for companies
focused on emerging technologies, like AI and data sciences. The
region is also home to the U.S. Federal Government and global
institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and
over 100 foreign embassies/consulates.
Like Washington, D.C.,
California is also a significant
hub for innovation and business, and the state with the highest
number of Fortune 500 companies. Its economy — the fifth largest in
the world at $3.9 trillion in 2023 —
has grown by 6.1% since the year prior, highlighting the state's
robust and growing economy. San
Francisco, the heart of Northern
California, and its surrounding areas are home to over 30
Fortune 500 companies, including Airbnb, Apple, Alphabet, Chevron,
Gap, Visa, and Wells Fargo. United provides customers a
comprehensive global network in San
Francisco, serving more than 60 domestic destinations and
over 30 international destinations. The airline has an average of
240 daily departures from SFO and employs more than 12,000 people
in the Bay Area.
As an alternate proposal to United's additional DCA-SFO flight,
United has applied for its first-ever DCA-Los Angeles (LAX) flight. The proposed LAX
flight would help foster healthy competition, as three other
airlines currently fly the route. The proposed flight, which would
also be operated on the Boeing MAX 8 aircraft, would also provide
greater flexibility and schedule choice for customers with the
earliest arrival in LAX of all airlines and the latest morning
departure to DCA.
About United
At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los
Angeles, New
York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most
comprehensive global route network among North American carriers
and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by
available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team,
please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the
company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the
parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq
under the symbol "UAL".
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SOURCE United Airlines