The news isn’t getting any better for small US cities, which continue to be burdened by changes to airline schedules during the pandemic.
Last weekend, unified airline filed plans to remove two more markets from its network: Erie, Pennsylvania, and Springfield, Illinois, as first seen in Syria schedule and then confirmed by the carrier’s spokesperson.
Historically, SkyWest Airlines, a subsidiary of United Express, has operated flights to both cities from Chicago. It now plans to cease service of Erie on June 1, 2023, and Springfield on May 31, 2023.
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In a milquetoast statement confirming the move, a spokesperson for the carrier added that “United has made the difficult decision to suspend service between Chicago O’Hare and Erie, Pennsylvania, and Springfield, Illinois beginning beginning June 2; We are proactively reaching out to affected customers to discuss their options.”
Fortunately for passengers to or from these markets, other airlines will maintain flights to Erie and Springfield. The former will still be served by american airlines, which offers two daily flights from Charlotte.
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On June 1, American is scheduled to begin its twice-daily service from Chicago to Springfield. (So far, it has flown from Dallas/Fort Worth to the Illinois capital.) Allegiant Air also flies to Springfield from Punta Gorda, Florida.
The pandemic and its consequences have caused many major airlines to suffer personnel shortage, especially among their pilots. The pilot shortage has become a particular challenge for regional affiliates that have served as stepping stones for beginner pilots looking to start their careers and eventually work at major US airlines.
Airlines are work hard to grow a system of future pilots, but the shortage is not something can be fixed overnight. With no other choice, airlines withdrew from small cities.
In fact, SkyWest warned about a year ago that they needed to down to 29 cities for lack of pilots. Although service to Erie and Springfield is operated by Skywest, the two cities are not on the airline’s preliminary cut list.
Since the pandemic began, American, Delta and United have all pulled out of 69 giant US cities, according to a network analysis conducted by aviation consulting firm Ailevon Pacific. Among the US “Big Three” airlines, United has get the most headlines for what was a major obstacle in regional connectivity — present in 38 markets nationwide.
This includes a mixed cities such as Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Lansing, Michigan; and Santa Rosa, California. The cuts even extend beyond the continental United States to Hello, Hawaii. Here is the complete list.
United’s 38 cities cut during pandemic
Below is a list of all the US cities that United have left out of during the pandemic, according to Cirium and Ailevon Pacific data.
- Abilene, Texas.
- Alamos, Colorado.
- Alexandria, Louisiana.
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
- Clarksburg, West Virginia.
- College Station, Texas.
- Colombia, Missouri.
- Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
- Erie, Pennsylvania.
- Evansville, Indiana.
- Everett/Paine Field, Washington.
- Flagstaff, Arizona.
- Fort Leonard Forest, Missouri.
- Hello, Hawaii.
- Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Michigan.
- Kearney, Nebraska.
- Killeen/Fort Hood, Texas.
- Lansing, Michigan.
- Lewisburg, West Virginia.
- Monroe, Louisiana.
- Muskegon, Michigan.
- Ogdensburg, New York.
- Paducah, Kentucky.
- Pierre, South Dakota.
- Plattsburgh, New York.
- Pueblo, Colorado.
- Rochester, Minnesota.
- San Angelo, Texas.
- Santa Rosa, California.
- Springfield, Illinois.
- Staunton/Waynesboro, Virginia.
- Stockton, California.
- Tallahassee, Florida.
- Texas, Arkansas.
- Twin Falls, Idaho.
- Water Town, South Dakota.
- Wausau, Wisconsin.
