Alerts Sign-up
Word broke yesterday that United Airlines was putting bigger regional jets – Embraer 175s – on its Aspen routes. This was surprising since the airport doesn’t support these planes and has blocked attempts to require that they make very modest changes in order to do so. How did United make this happen?
United Airlines plans to begin flying its E175 from Aspen (ASE) to several cities:
• Denver (DEN) starting Dec. 3
• Los Angeles (LAX) starting Dec. 19
• San Francisco (SFO) starting Jan. 7
• Houston (IAH) Dec. 3 to 18
This made no sense because the airport has been fighting the FAA to keep out bigger planes, and no word of any progress forcing them to make changes to support Embraer E-175s had come out.
Precisely because of that battle, United scheduling these regional jets with twice as many first-class seats and an overall better passenger experience was big news. They’d somehow gotten permission!
Except they hadn’t! United says that the new flights are "subject to FAA approval." Normally what aircraft you fly on a domestic route isn’t subject to FAA approval. This means "subject to the FAA prevailing and making the airport accept these planes."
Put another way, announcing the bigger planes is just a way to signal that United wants to fly them – meant as ammunition in the ongoing fight over whether the airport has to be an airport at all (much like Santa Monica; Naples; Westchester; Boulder et al – local NIMBYs in wealthy neighborhoods who don’t want the noise or the outside people).
And once approval finally comes there will be a lag in starting the service because special pilot training is required for Aspen airport operations.
Aspen may eventually get larger regional jets with more first-class seats but United’s announcement was likely both premature and strategic.
United Airlines has announced the issuance of travel waivers for passengers whose flights were affected by closures at London Heathrow Airport.
ITA Airways announced that flight AZ806 managed to land safely after a brief hold due to nearby missile activity.
EVA Air has announced the reinstatement of its Premium Economy Class on the Seattle route, with three weekly flights scheduled from March 8 through July 27.
Emirates Airlines has announced the launch of a new door-to-door delivery service called 'Very Important Parcels' (VIPs), promising the same level of care as provided to its passengers.
Cargolux has announced the transportation of two lions, Tsar and Jamil, from captivity in Ukraine to a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa.
Hainan Airlines announced that its Beijing–Oslo flight HU769 landed successfully in Norway.
Alerts Sign-up
Alerts Sign-up
