United to open new pilot bases for 1st time in additional than 20 years, including Las Vegas and Orlando

United Airways is slated to open new pilot bases in Orlando and Las Vegas in Might 2023, in keeping with a memo despatched to crews Wednesday.

Airline Weekly, which obtained a duplicate of the memo, first reported this growth.

The modifications will see the Chicago-based provider open a pilot base for the primary time in additional than 20 years. The Las Vegas base shall be dwelling to 204 pilots and the Orlando base 300. The Orlando location might doubtlessly embody Tampa as nicely. Each new bases are completely for Boeing 737 pilots and can shave off hours from pilots’ commutes to different bases to function their journeys.

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The bases is not going to grow to be new hubs for the airline. A part of the reasoning for establishing the brand new pilot bases was not solely to shorten commutes for pilots but additionally to cut back delay instances. Plus, exterior of the provider’s present bases, hundreds of United pilots reside in Florida and Nevada.

“Moreover, having pilots positioned in additional places all through the nation will assist bolster our operational integrity,” Zach Shapiro, the United managing director of flight crew sources, mentioned within the Wednesday memo.

United largely had bases in its hubs — pilots can dwell wherever they please, however they’re liable for commuting to their bases to function their flights. Oftentimes, these commutes may be inconvenient, particularly if pilots dwell in Florida however must fly to Chicago or San Francisco to work their flights, for instance.

United has eight hubs within the U.S.: Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR), Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX), Antonio B. Gained Pat Worldwide Airport (GUM), San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO), O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD), Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN), Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Apart from working bases in its hubs, United additionally has a base in Cleveland Hopkins Worldwide Airport (CLE), which had been a hub for the provider till 2014.

The announcement of the brand new bases comes after thorny contract negotiations between the Air Line Pilots Affiliation — which represents greater than 13,000 United pilots — and the Chicago-based provider. In November, United pilots turned down a tentative settlement that might have given them roughly 15% raises over 18 months, with ALPA saying the contract “fell brief.” The airline subsequently gave pilots a 5% increase sooner than scheduled.

Nonetheless, Shapiro emphasised within the memo that the brand new bases can be “excellent news for our pilots, our prospects and our airways,” calling them a “win-win-win” state of affairs.