United Airlines, based in Chicago, has been experiencing significant international growth post-COVID-19. However, the airline has faced challenges in some routes, particularly the Newark to Hong Kong and Mumbai, and San Francisco to Delhi routes.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium’s ‘recent changes’ report reveals that United has delayed the resumption of services from Newark Liberty International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Additionally, the route from San Francisco International Airport to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has also been postponed.
The reason for this delay is likely the closure of Russian airspace. All three routes take a polar path and ideally cross over Russian airspace for optimal efficiency. With the airspace still off-limits to US airlines, operating these long flights becomes difficult. United may not have the necessary equipment or alternative route options, or the increased fuel consumption cost could be prohibitive.
United previously operated flights from Newark to Hong Kong until February 2020 when operations were halted due to the pandemic. The Newark to Mumbai route had a similar fate, with flights running until March 2020 and then resuming in August. Both routes experienced changes in frequency and aircraft used.
Despite these delays, United still offers service to Hong Kong and Delhi from other hubs. The Newark to Delhi route has 35 scheduled flights this month, increasing to twice-daily from October 28. Hong Kong is served by flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco, with a new route from Los Angeles announced recently.
(Source: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying)
