In the post-COVID world, United Airlines
has proven to be one of the most successful airlines in the United States. The carrier has over 1,000 aircraft in its mainline fleet, and its network stretches across North America and beyond.
Its destinations are connected by several strategic hubs, where almost all of United’s flights either arrive or depart from. Among these are some of the busiest airports in the world, including Denver International Airport
, Chicago O’Hare International Airport
, and Los Angeles International Airport
.
A diverse fleet
United operates a diverse fleet of aircraft from a variety of manufacturers. However, the Chicago-based carrier is a loyal customer to Boeing. United currently operates all of Boeing’s modern commercial aircraft models still operating today, with the exception of the Boeing 747:
- Boeing 737-700, 800, 900, 900ER, MAX 8, and MAX 9
- Boeing 757-200, 300
- Boeing 767-300ER, -400ER
- Boeing 777-200, 200ER, and 300ER
- Boeing 787-8, 9, and 10
Photo: GingChen | Shutterstock
Meanwhile, United relies on other manufacturers to supply the rest of its fleet. Regional aircraft operated by its subsidiaries are built by Bombardier and Embraer, but for mainline operations, the only other manufacturer United orders aircraft from is Airbus
. Until United’s delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, it had been years since the airline received a new aircraft from the European aircraft manufacturer.
Photo: Andrew Mauro | Shutterstock
However, United still has an aging fleet of previous-generation Airbus A320 family aircraft. Though these are not as popular as the Boeing 737 in the United fleet, these A319s and A320s still play a critical role in operating the airline’s robust and massive schedule. While every mainland US United hub in the network gets the smaller Airbus A319
, some destinations get it more frequently than others.
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Related
Why Is United Airlines Doubling Down On Denver Airport?
United Airlines undoubtedly has big plans for its hub at Denver International Airport (DEN). Not only has the carrier demonstrated its intention to continue growing its route network from the facility (including new flights launched between Denver and Syracuse which Simple Flying reported on earlier today), but it also could be planning to make the city its new home. Recently, United Airlines purchased a large amount of land at the airport, something which led many to speculate that the carrier could be planning to move its headquarters from Chicago to Denver in the coming months. Regardless of whether this is actually what the airline had in mind for the facility, it certainly does have big plans for growth and expansion at what is arguably its most important hub for connecting traffic. What do you think United Airlines has in store for its Denver operating base?
United’s A319 fleet at a glance
According to United, the airline’s Airbus A319s seat 126 passengers in a three-class layout. This makes it one of the smallest aircraft in United’s mainline fleet in terms of capacity. However, it is tied with the Boeing 737-700, which is equipped with the same number of seats in the same configuration.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
At the front, the aircraft is equipped with 12 United First seats. Each seat in the airline’s domestic first class features 37″ of pitch, 4″ of recline, and 21.1″ of width. Additionally, these premium seats offer power outlets, and newer cabins feature seatback entertainment screens. In total, the airline has three rows of first class.
Following United First is 14 rows of Economy Plus, the airline’s upgraded economy option for travelers who would like added comfort at a lower price than a first class ticket. These seats boast 35″ of pitch, 3″ of recline, and a width of 17.7″. Meanwhile, the rest of the aircraft’s seats are sold as Economy, and offer 30″ of pitch, 2″ of recline, and the same width as Economy Plus seating. United’s Economy legroom is standard across its entire Airbus fleet.
Photo: United Airlines
As United continues to modernize its fleet, it lacks a direct replacement for the A319. The airline has invested heavily in the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 and Airbus A321neo for its next-generation narrowbody fleet. However, all of these aircraft have a significantly higher capacity than the A319.
While United could potentially look to smaller replacements like the Boeing 737 MAX 7 or even the A319neo (though this is unlikely given the aircraft’s lack of popularity), upgauging its fleet could help it in certain hubs. United hubs like Newark Liberty International Airport
are famously slot-controlled, meaning the airline only has so many take-off and landing slots it can use each day. In addition to Newark, United operations are also impacted by slots at these hubs, according to the FAA:
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
By having higher capacity aircraft fly into its more restricted hubs, United can serve more passengers with the same number of slots. Considering the aircraft’s lower capacity, it makes sense the hub with the most scheduled A319 flights this month is less restricted and offers room to grow. Using data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, we can see that the Mile High City has the most United A319 flights scheduled.
Denver is United’s top A319 destination
Denver International Airport is United’s busiest hub, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. It is also the United destination that has the most Airbus A319 operations for the carrier. In addition to United, operators like Delta Air Lines and Allegiant also fly to the Mile High City with the aircraft type, though obviously on a much smaller scale than United.
Photo: Denver International Airport
United is Denver’s largest carrier, beating out low-cost rival Southwest Airlines and locally operator Frontier Airlines, both of which have crew bases in the Mile High City. The carrier is the exclusive operator in Denver’s Concourse B, the airport’s largest concourse, and also occupies a large portion of Denver’s Concourse A. From these, it operates routes across the country, some of which have impressive frequencies.
In addition to an impressive number of gates, United has a large maintenance hangar on the airport property, and houses its entire pilot training facility just miles from the airport. From Denver, the Airbus A319 operates many short-haul, domestic routes. This month, the airport will have 2,894 A319 flights.
United’s busiest A319 routes from Denver
United’s biggest A319 markets from Denver consist of short-haul routes to mid-sized destinations across the United States, and, for select routes, beyond. United’s top five A319 routes from Denver this month in terms of scheduled flights are as follows:
Route |
Monthly Flights |
Available Seats |
Denver to Montrose, CO |
80 |
10,080 |
Denver to San Jose, CA |
65 |
8,190 |
Denver to Bozeman, MT |
57 |
7,182 |
Denver to Memphis, TN |
51 |
6,426 |
Denver to St. Louis, MO |
49 |
6,174 |
Montrose, Colorado serves as a gateway to many of Colorado’s most popular ski destinations, including more remote ones like Telluride. It is likely that services to Montrose peak around this time of the year, and lessen when ski season is over. United competes directly with Southwest Airlines
on the route, which operates its Boeing 737 aircraft between the two cities.
According to Flightradar24, Southwest uses all three of its 737 variants on the route: the 700, 800, and MAX 8 models. These aircraft all boast a higher capacity than United’s A319, offering either 143 or 175 seats respectively.
Some routes have less competition
United goes head-to-head with the Dallas-based airline on all the top five routes. In San Jose and St. Louis, Southwest dominates the market, making it a formidable competitor to United. Burbank is the sixth largest A319 market from Denver for United, in which the carrier is also against Southwest. However, the seventh, eighth, and ninth-busiest Denver A319 routes are operated without competition from Southwest:
Route |
Monthly Flights |
Available Seats |
Denver to Cedar Rapids, IA |
44 |
5,544 |
Denver to Dallas/Fort Worth, TX |
44 |
5,544 |
Denver to Jackson Hole, WY |
40 |
5,040 |
Photo: Welshboy2020 | Shutterstock
It is worth noting that while none of these routes have direct competition from Southwest, some still host competition from other carriers. For example, Frontier Airlines
flies from Denver to Cedar Rapids, though on a relatively infrequent basis. The ultra-low-cost carrier only offers a few weekly flights.
Meanwhile, United competes against Frontier and American Airlines
on flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Southwest offers flights to its nearby Love Field base. United is the only airline to operate nonstop flights to Jackson Hole from Denver.
Photo: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Less frequent routes
At the other end of the spectrum, United serves some routes very infrequently with the A319, typically opting to operate other narrowbody aircraft on the route instead. United’s five least-flown Denver A319 routes all use the equipment two times or less this month:
Route |
Monthly Flights |
Available Seats |
Denver to Baltimore/Washington, MD |
2 |
252 |
Denver to Kansas City, MO |
2 |
252 |
Denver to Philadelphia, PA |
2 |
252 |
Denver to Pittsburgh, PA |
2 |
252 |
Denver to Santa Barbara |
1 |
126 |
On all of these routes, United faces direct competition from Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines, with the exception of Santa Barbara. Frontier does not serve the southern California city.
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United’s other hubs get A319s too
While Denver is by far the largest destination for United’s A319s, the carrier also deploys its smallest mainline jet to other important hubs in its network. Its second-busiest hub for the A319 is Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport
, followed by Chicago:
Hub |
Monthly Flights |
Houston Intercontinental (IAH) |
1,903 |
Chicago O’Hare (ORD) |
1,889 |
Newark Liberty (EWR) |
1,236 |
San Francisco (SFO) |
638 |
Washington Dulles (IAD) |
262 |
Los Angeles (LAX) |
8 |
While some of these host extensive A319 operations, none of them come close to Denver’s monthly flights. The A319 continues to be a valuable part of United’s fleet, and the airline continues to deploy it extensively, especially from its mid-continental hubs.