United is withdrawing from the 36th US city since the pandemic began

Small US cities continue to shoulder most of the burden of airline scheduling changes during the pandemic.

The latest example comes from Pueblo, Colorado, a small city located about a two-hour drive south of Denver. Pueblo is losing service from United Airlines, first seen on Cirium’s schedule and later confirmed by a spokesperson for the airline.

United will withdraw from Pueblo on January 14, 2023. Until then, it will continue to fly the 108-mile route to Denver at a frequency of two flights per day. United Express regional branch SkyWest Airlines operates the route using a 50-seat CRJ-200 on behalf of the airline.

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In a milquetoast statement confirming the Pueblo cuts, a spokesperson for the carrier shared that “United regularly adjusts its schedule for a variety of reasons including network demand, broader needs of the network. ours, etc.”

While United’s reasons may not be clear, Pueblo is just the latest US city to lose key air service during the pandemic – a time faced by major airlines. 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. In many cases, it resulted in carriers pulling out of small cities.

In fact, in March, SkyWest warned that they needed to down to 29 cities for lack of pilots. Pueblo was on SkyWest’s list of proposed cuts, and the airline shared at the time that “due to the ongoing pilot staffing imbalance across the industry, SkyWest expects to discontinue service.” in some markets starting this summer.”

Since the pandemic began, American, Delta and United have collectively pulled out of 64 huge US cities, according to a network analysis conducted by aviation consulting firm Ailevon Pacific. Of the three major US airlines, United has get the most headlines for what was a major obstacle in regional connectivity — present in 36 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 Hawaiiand you’ll find the full list below.

Historically, United’s Pueblo line was subsidized under Essential Airline Service Program, is a federal government program that subsidizes air service to small communities where service may not be feasible. Contracts are tendered by various carriers and awarded by the Department of Transport, which administers the EAS program.

Although Pueblo will no longer be connected to United’s hub in Denver, the city will continue to receive air service thanks to a new EAS level.

Southern Airways Express will welcome the United service on January 15, 2023. The small regional airline will fly the nine-seat Beechcraft King Air 200 turboprop engines on 24 weekly non-stop market flights.

The new contract will run through January 31, 2025, and the carrier will receive a subsidy in the amount of $2,992,087 for the first year and $3,066,890 for the second year of service.

Of course, swapping the United Express service for Southern Airways Express would reduce capacity significantly in the market, along with a reduction in overall connectivity. That’s because travelers to or from Pueblo have previously been able to connect through United’s extensive Denver operation to cities across the United States and the world.

Meanwhile, Southern Airways Express doesn’t offer a partnership with United, so those traveling outside of Mile High City will now need to purchase a separate ticket — or simply drive to Denver International Airport (DEN) to get there. Start your travel journey.