The Chicago-based carrier is no stranger to deploying regional aircraft on lengthy flights.
United Airlines is returning seasonal service between its hub at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Montana this month. The route, operated by an Embraer E175 regional jet, covers more than 1,770 average miles – among the longest for the aircraft type.
The service will restart at the end of the month and will run throughout the summer. It comes as airlines are working to boost their regional operations to closer or above pre-pandemic levels.
Longer than 4 hours
Mesa Airlines, a regional carrier operating under the United Express brand, will operate the flights. According to aviation data and analytics provider Cirium, the service will kick off on May 25th with Saturday and Sunday frequencies.
With only two flights in each direction this month, United will offer 304 seats in total. With 10 flights each way in June, the number will increase to 1,406. Mesa’s E175s accommodate between 70 and 76 passengers in a two-class configuration. United First has 12 seats in a 2-1 layout, while United Economy comprises 58 to 64 seats. Depending on the seating version, 16 or 32 economy seats are designated as United Economy Plus, which recline further and have three more inches of legroom than the standard economy seats.
Photo: Mesa Airlines
The aircraft also have WiFi, allowing passengers to surf the internet for a small fee. First class travelers can charge their electronic devices with power outlets. For inflight entertainment, all passengers can stream content to their devices free of charge through United’s entertainment online portal.
In July, the airline has 16 flights scheduled, eight in each direction, offering 1,216 seats before capacity will be at its highest in August. Not only will there be a total of 18 flights on the route, but the operation will be partially handled by the Airbus A319, which carries 126 passengers. It is scheduled to handle six flights each way, while the E175 will handle 12. The seasonal service will conclude in September with a total of two flights.
Longest E175 routes
At 1,774 average miles, IAD-BZN will be the longest route in the world to be operated by an E175 until the service goes on hiatus in September, according to Cirium.
Photo: Cirium
United is no stranger to long E175 flights, however. This month’s second-longest E175 flight is a one-time flight from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Burlington International Airport (BVT) in Vermont, at 1,639 average miles. Mesa Airlines also operates this route.
The third-longest route is operated by SkyWest Airlines under the United Express brand. It covers 1,589 average miles between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP), with 44 frequencies this month.
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Improving aircraft utilization
According to AirlineGeeks, airlines have been focused on ramping up regional flights since the pandemic. American Airlines reportedly improved its regional jet utilization by 4% last year, with capacity up by approximately 11% year-over-year. By the end of this year, the carrier hopes to have more than 530 regional aircraft fully utilized.
Delta Air Lines reportedly expects to boost its regional capacity by nearly 12% from last year to this year. The carrier estimates that around 100 regional jets are underutilzed, AirlineGeeks reported.
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Source: Simple Flying
