United Airlines will resume nonstop flights between Washington Dulles International Airport and Albuquerque International Sunport on May 22, 2025. This marks the return of a route last operated in 2014, providing a direct link between the US capital region and New Mexico’s largest city.
Ishrion Aviation initially announced the news on social media platform X, noting that the route will be served daily by an Airbus A319 aircraft. The service is set to transition to a Boeing 737-700 aircraft in late summer, increasing capacity. United Airlines confirmed this information to Simple Flying, stating: “Starting May 22, United will begin operating once daily, nearly year-round, direct service between Washington Dulles (IAD) and Albuquerque (ABQ) providing travelers with greater connectivity between the two cities and United’s route network.”
The flight schedule for this route includes Flight UA1706 departing IAD at 9:00 AM and arriving at ABQ at 11:05 AM. Flight UA1239 will leave ABQ at 3:00 PM and arrive back at IAD at 8:45 PM. The service is not planned to run year-round, with a seasonal pause expected in January and February as reported by DC’s WTOP News.
Initially utilizing an Airbus A319 featuring a two-class cabin configuration with Wi-Fi capabilities, the fleet will later switch to a Boeing 737-700 without significant changes in capacity or seating arrangements. Data from Planespotters.net indicates that United has 79 A319s in service with an average age of 23.3 years and operates 36 B737s with an average age of 26 years.
Previously, United operated this route until April 2014 when it was discontinued. According to Cirium data, during its last operation period in early 2014, flights were primarily conducted using Airbus A320s and A319s before concluding operations mid-April.
