Summary
- United Express has resumed four routes from Washington Dulles.
- It has also started a brand-new service from the Virginia hub.
- All flights are on the Embraer ERJ-145 or E175.
What is better than the start of a route? The start of five from one hub in one day! United Airlines – or rather its United Express unit – has done just that from Washington Dulles. However, only one destination – Mobile, Alabama – is brand-new. The other four are in Pennsylvania and were served until 2022 when they switched to Newark. Now they’re back at Dulles.
Five routes, one hub, one day
The following table details the developments. In July, they’ll have 11 daily departures from Dulles, United’s fifth-busiest hub by flights. As you can see, nearly all the departures – at least to nearby destinations – leave at roughly the same time to drive connectivity (see the image beneath the table).
Notice that the 50-seat ERJ-145, operated by CommutAir, is vital. For Harrisburg, State College, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, this is a big change from when they were served from Newark. While they had about the same frequencies, flights were on the three-class, 50-seat CRJ-550s, which included 10 first-class seats. Presumably, they couldn’t sustain so many premium seats.
At just 81 nautical miles (151 km) based on the Great Circle distance, Harrisburg is United’s second-shortest route from Dulles, behind Charlottesville. State College is the fifth shortest, Philadelphia is sixth, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 10th, and Mobile is 49th.
|
Washington Dulles to… |
Start date in 2024 |
Flights (departure times from Dulles in July) |
Aircraft |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Harrisburg |
June 27 |
Double daily (12:55, 17:30) |
ERJ-145 |
Served until 2022. Switched to Newark, with the last flight there on June 26, 2024 |
|
Mobile* |
June 27 |
Double daily (08:55, 17:35) |
ERJ-145 |
Not previously served |
|
Philadelphia |
June 27 |
Triple daily (12:45, 18:31, 22:05/22:15) |
E175, ERJ-145 |
Served until 2022. Switched to Newark, with the last flight there on June 26, 2024 |
|
State College |
June 27 |
Double daily** (13:00, 17:48) |
ERJ-145 |
Served until 2022. Switched to Newark, with the last flight there on June 26, 2024 |
|
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton |
June 27 |
Double daily (12:45, 17:40) |
ERJ-145 |
Served until 2005, then 2018-2022. Switched to Newark, with the last flight there on June 26, 2024 |
|
* Regional (MOB) |
** Triple daily from August 19 until the end of October |
Image: OAG
Only Mobile is new
Just as Mobile has not had Dulles flights before, it has also not been linked non-stop to Washington Reagan or Baltimore. According to booking data, Mobile-Dulles had just five passengers daily each way (PDEW) in 2023. It rose to about 29 PDEW when the other two airports were added. With 100 seats to fill each way daily, connections will – of course – be vital.
Image: GCMap
Some 43 airports connect in both directions to/from Mobile, as shown on the hard-to-read map above. This finding is based on the first week of July, waiting no more than four hours in Dulles, and flying no more than 50% further than a non-stop flight would be.
Naturally, many places are in the Northeast US and international countries. Exceptions include Anchorage, launched from Dulles in May 2024, and the carrier’s new longest Boeing 737 MAX route. (United’s Mobile-Houston flights cover the Midwest, US West, Mexico, and more.)
When the 43 airports were combined with Dulles, Reagan, and Baltimore, Mobile had approximately 144 PDEW, hence the 50-seat regional jets. Flying double daily, rather than daily with higher-capacity equipment, is designed to capture more of that traffic with competitive schedules.
What do you make of the five routes from Dulles? Let us know in the comments section.