San Antonio’s First Long-Haul Flight Takes Off

Condor's first flight from San Antonio to Frankfurt takes off, marking the very first transatlantic service from the airport.

Anthony Bang An

Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 03:34 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Condor's first flight to San Antonio (Photo: City of San Antonio)

The first-ever nonstop transatlantic service from San Antonio airport is taking off for Frankfurt, Germany, with flight number DE2137. Operated by German carrier Condor on an Airbus A330-900neo, it will become the only long-haul flight out of the airport, marking an important milestone for the Texan city.

The city pair will be connected three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Mondays, the Condor flight lands at 20:05 and departs for Germany at 22:05. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the flight arrives in San Antonio at 18:25 and departs for Frankfurt at 20:25. The seasonal service will operate from May to September.

Ribbon cutting for the inaugural flight from Frankfurt to San Antonio (Photo: City of San Antonio)

Behind the New Route

AirlineGeeks had the chance to speak to the airport’s air service development department at an October conference about the new Condor flight to Europe, and here are some of the main factors that led to the new connection:

German Ties

The Chief Air Service Development Officer at San Antonio Airport, Brian Pratte, pointed out during the chat that many San Antonio residents have German ties and can benefit from the new flight. At the same time, there are U.S. military bases near Frankfurt and the flight will give military relatives and personnel easier access.

San Antonio Community

Travel demand in southern and central Texas has been on the rise, driven by economic growth with several companies relocating or expanding in the region. The San Antonio metro area also boasts a population of over 2.5 million, and Pratte said a flight to Europe has long been on the ‘wish list’ of the community and the airport. The Condor flight not only provides access to Germany but also a one-stop connection to the rest of Europe via Frankfurt on Lufthansa, with whom Condor has a code-share partnership.

Tourism

San Antonio was the most visited city in Texas over the past few years, welcoming 35 million visitors in 2022 and 39 million in 2023, according to Visit San Antonio. The majority of the visitors have been domestic, but the city has been working to attract more international tourists. Condor, a carrier traditionally targeting vacation destinations, fits well in connecting German tourists to the city.

Condor’s new route to San Antonio is the city’s first long-haul flight. (Photo: City of San Antonio)

Alternative to Austin?

Austin’s airport is experiencing growth but is exceeding its capacity. San Antonio airport is located around 80 miles from Austin and the two cities are connected by Interstate 35. The drive typically takes around two hours, but even less for residents of Austin’s southern suburbs, making San Antonio a legitimate alternative for travelers to or from Austin.

For Condor, San Antonio is its second attempt in Southern Texas; the first was in Austin. The carrier flew to Austin until 2018, when Lufthansa entered the market and Condor withdrew. With the new flight, San Antonio will be Condor’s airport of choice in Southern Texas.

Anthony Bang An

Anthony is an aviation enthusiast who grew up around the world from St. Louis to Singapore, and now lives in Amsterdam. He loves long-haul flying and finds peace in the sound of engine cruising. He aspires to share his passion for the sky though writing and providing another angle on the stories.

Icelandair Inaugurates Pittsburgh Service, 16th Destination in North America

The Icelandic flag carrier will operate a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft four times a week to connect Pittsburgh and Reykjavik.

John Flett

Friday, May 17, 2024 at 05:49 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Icelandair 737 MAX (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Icelandair commenced non-stop operations to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Thursday with a seasonal schedule operating until the end of October. The four-times-per-week frequency between Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and the airline’s Keflavik (KEF) base becomes the carrier’s sixteenth North American destination. This opens up the state’s second-largest city to inbound passengers and outbound customers seeking to visit Iceland or stopover in the country before traveling on to the airline’s European network.

Bogi Nils Bogason, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Icelandair said: “The North American market has been very strong and in recent years, US citizens have been the largest group of tourists visiting Iceland. The Pittsburgh route is off to a good start, with passengers from 25 European destinations booked to Pittsburgh and travelers from Pittsburgh have booked flights to 30 destinations in Europe.”

The flight from PIT to KEF is operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with a scheduled flight time of just under six hours. The early morning arrival allows transit customers to connect to European services in one of the airline’s strategic hub waves. The return flight departs late afternoon arriving in Pittsburgh in the early evening giving those customers on an Icelandic stopover the majority of the day to conclude sightseeing.

Icelandair is undertaking an expanded northern summer schedule and recently added the Faroe Islands to its network. On May 31, the airline will add Halifax, Nova Scotia to the network with a thrice-weekly operation setting the carrier up for a robust period after a strong beginning to the 2024 calendar year. The service will also be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX with a Halifax-bound flight taking just under 5 hours and the return a little over 4 hours.

Earlier this month Icelandair announced that over one million passengers had travelled on the airline in the first four months of 2024. “With more than 300,000 passengers in April, and one million in the first four months of the year, we continue seeing a healthy increase in the total number of passengers,” said Bogason. However, there was a decline in numbers in April of customers heading to ‘Destination Iceland.’

Bogason stated: “The decline on the to and from markets is mainly attributed to a shift in Easter traffic this year into March. Demand in the via market remained strong and almost half of our passengers were via passengers compared to 40% last year. This displays the flexibility of our route network where we can redirect capacity to the markets with the strongest demand at each time through robust revenue management. I am very happy to see continued strong on-time performance, which is thanks to a strong focus and the outstanding performance of the Icelandair team.”

John Flett

John has always had a passion for aviation and through a career with Air New Zealand has gained a strong understanding of aviation operations and the strategic nature of the industry. During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team who created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff balancing a mix of corporate and social content. John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. John has held the positions of course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university. In addition he is contracted as an external instructor for IATA (International Air Transport Association) and has been a member of the Heathrow Community Fund’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.

Livery of the Week: Saudia’s Retro Paint Scheme

In 2021, to commemorate its 75th anniversary, Saudia, Saudi Arabia's national carrier, unveiled two special liveries on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, May 17, 2024 at 04:22 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Saudia Boeing 777-300ER in a retro livery (Photo: Mark Bess, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)

Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is proud to present our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.

Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line.

In 2021, to commemorate its 75th anniversary, Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national carrier, unveiled two special liveries on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. One of these liveries featured a retro design inspired by Saudia’s livery from the 1970s and 1980s.

This special livery replaced the airline’s traditional light-gold color scheme with a prominent green and blue one. The design incorporated light and dark stripes that ran along the length of the 777-300ER, complemented by a green tail.

The retro livery wasn’t just a nostalgic nod to Saudia’s past. According to the airline, it symbolized pride in their heritage and the region’s growth during that era. The color scheme was said to reflect the landscapes of Saudi Arabia, further connecting the aircraft’s design to the nation it represented.

This special livery wasn’t intended for permanent use across Saudia’s fleet. It served as a celebratory design for their 75th anniversary. However, the retro aesthetic did influence Saudia’s overall rebranding in 2023, which incorporated a similar green color scheme as part of its new brand identity.

Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

How the New FAA Reauthorization Impacts Small Community Air Service

Buried deep inside the 1,068-page act are new stipulations for the Essential Air Service (EAS) and Small Community Air Service Development (SCASDP) programs.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, May 17, 2024 at 03:54 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Vanni Gibertini

An American Eagle flight operated by a PSA Airlines CRJ-200 in Charlotte. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

On Thursday, President Biden signed the bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill into law. Within the legislation are sweeping changes to aviation infrastructure across the U.S., including additional air traffic controllers, consumer protections for airline passengers, and much more.

Buried deep inside the 1,068-page act are new stipulations for the Federal Government’s Essential Air Service (EAS) and Small Community Air Service Development (SCASDP) programs. These Department of Transportation (DOT)-administered programs provide federal funding to small, typically rural communities that airlines otherwise wouldn’t typically serve.

New requirements will add guardrails on how and when air carriers can exit EAS markets. In addition, communities within the program can now petition the DOT to terminate carriers that do not provide adequate service. These changes are part of broader updates to both programs, which include additional funding.

Leaving EAS Communities

In March 2022, SkyWest – the country’s largest regional operator – requested to end service to 29 Essential Air Service communities around the U.S., citing pilot supply issues. This largely unprecedented move grabbed the attention of local community leaders and some congressional members alike.

Airlines who choose to terminate service to an EAS community during the contract period will now face additional penalties. Under previous rules, the air carrier would be required to provide 90 days’ notice of its intentions to terminate service. With the new law in place, that notice period is 140 days.

A SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft on final approach at O’Hare International Airport. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The DOT does compensate airlines should they be required to continue operating in the community after the notice period. However, this is only done until a replacement carrier can be found.

With the new legislation, the DOT will now have broader authority to insert language on “termination penalties or conditions on compensation” into EAS contracts should a carrier opt to exit a community, reduce or suspend service.

Communities Gain More Oversight

In the past, communities had little to no recourse should an airline provide lackluster service or be unable to meet standards in the contract. New language now gives community leaders more of a voice.

A petition process is now in place; representatives can submit a ‘no confidence’ review request to the DOT of an air carrier’s service. The law provides the following criteria in order to make such a request:

“is unwilling or unable to meet the operational specifications outlined in the order issued by the Secretary specifying the terms of basic essential air service to such place;
is experiencing reliability challenges with the potential to adversely affect air service to such place; or
is no longer able to provide service to such place at the rate of compensation specified by the Secretary.”

After receiving the petition, the agency will have two months to review it and determine whether the carrier is fulfilling the contract’s terms. The DOT will then either terminate the contract or allow the carrier to continue service.

Other Updates

Congress wants to study the overall cost of the EAS program and has enlisted the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study. In addition, the federal government will conduct a study of communities that lost air service, including any subsequent economic damages.

The SCASDP is also slated to receive approximately $5 million in additional funding per fiscal year. This program provides funding to smaller airports to attract new airlines with subsidized air service development.

Ryan Ewing

Qantas Bids Farewell to Final Boeing 767 Freighter

Qantas is saying farewell to its last operating Boeing 767-300 aircraft after nearly 40 years of flying the aircraft type.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, May 17, 2024 at 09:42 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Qantas Boeing 767 freighter aircraft (Photo: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)

Qantas is saying farewell to its last operating Boeing 767 aircraft after nearly 40 years of flying the aircraft type. In an Instagram post on Friday, the Australian carrier said its last remaining 767 aircraft – registered as VH-EFR – will soon exit the fleet.

The airline retired its last passenger-carrying Boeing 767s in 2014 after operating up to 41 aircraft since 1985. According to Qantas, its 767 fleet carried 168 million passengers on 927,000 flights over the years.

Per Cirium Ascend Fleet Analyzer data, VH-EFR is just over 18 years old, joining the Qantas fleet in 2011 after flying cargo for Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA). While owned by Qantas, it was operated by Express Freighters Australia under the Qantas Freight brand.

As Airbus A321F and A330F aircraft enter the Qantas Freight operation, the airline plans to also phase out its aging 737-300 and 737-400 aircraft. Currently, the freight subsidiary’s fleet includes five A321s, two A330s, three BAe-146s, and two 737s. The airline says it plans to retire the remaining Boeing 737 freighters later this year.

VH-EFR is set to arrive in Sydney around 7:30 a.m. local time on Saturday after its last scheduled flight from Hong Kong.

Ryan Ewing

Breeze Makes Bid for First Essential Air Service Contract

Breeze's recent proposal to serve a small New York town follows a similar trend of other airlines operating larger jets to EAS communities.

Joey Gerardi

Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 05:14 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Breeze A220 aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

We have seen more unusual Essential Air Service (EAS) proposals on increasingly larger aircraft in the past couple of years. Originally, EAS routes were flown on smaller aircraft like eight-seat turboprop aircraft, and as time went on and these smaller aircraft were phased out, the 50-seat and 30-seat aircraft rained king in EAS markets around the country. Then, airlines began slowly phasing out 50-seat jets in favor of 76-seaters.

Until a few years ago, no aircraft larger than 76 seats was seen scheduled on EAS routes with the major exception being in the state of Alaska. Then, Sun County happened. In a very unusual turn of events, ultra-low-cost carrier Sun Country submitted a proposal for its first EAS community. Many questioned its legitimacy, but nonetheless, the carrier won the contract in the community of Eau Claire, Wis.

The ribbon cutting ceremony at Eau Claire (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

After it won Eau Claire, the carrier began throwing its hat in the ring for other EAS contracts around the midwest but haven’t won any other communities. Fast forward two years to this past February, JetBlue became the second carrier to submit an EAS proposal in the lower 48 states with a larger airplane.

Presque Isle, Maine, a community whose current EAS contract ends in less than a month, still hasn’t received word on whether or not JetBlue has won the contract or if the current carrier United will continue to serve the community. If selected JetBlue will serve Presque Isle from Boston on the Embraer E190 and then the Airbus A220 once it retires the previous type.

Breeze Looks at Subsidized Service

Now Breeze, another airline founded by David Neeleman, has thrown its hat in the ring for its first EAS contract, which will be in the city of Ogdensburg located in northern New York. According to a recent filing, Breeze is proposing a mix of JetBlue and Sun Country-type tactics. The carrier wants to fly to leisure destinations, which, in this case, would be Orlando twice a week, and also to a connecting hub which is slated to be Washington Dulles.

A Breeze A220 in Phoenix (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

The connecting hub flights to Dulles aren’t daily, but it’s better than Sun Country’s twice-weekly flights to its Minneapolis hub. Breeze doesn’t currently offer many connecting flights within its network and is largely a point-to-point carrier, plus the carrier doesn’t even currently fly to Dulles.

Breeze did mention in a filing that it is “in discussions with large domestic and international carriers and expect interline connectivity to be available to OGS by the end of 2024.” While it didn’t mention a specific airline, United does operate a sizeable hub at Washington Dulles.

The airline is looking for a three-year EAS contract, and it does offer two options for schedules. The first one is once daily flights to Dulles with the daily departure occurring from the EAS community at 7:45 p.m., and the annual subsidy rate would be $8,860,318. The second option is six weekly flights to Dulles with the departure occurring from Ogdensburg at 7:45 p.m., and twice-weekly flights to Orlando with flights leaving Ogdensburg at 7 p.m. and the annual subsidy rate would be $7,371,031 for Dulles and $2,454,192 for Orlando, making a combined annual subsidy of $9,825,223.

Ogdensburg has been suffering since COVID-19 began. The community used to have twice daily flights on SkyWest under the United Express brand to Washington Dulles under the EAS contract, and Allegiant served the airport unsubsidized to Florida as well. The airport moved a nearby roadway so they could extend the runway just for Allegiant aircraft to land, and while Ogdensburg is small it is a border town, and the carrier used this to try and convince Canadians from nearby cities to drive to Ogdensburg for cheaper flights.

Allegiant left in 2020 with plans to return but never did. SkyWest terminated the EAS contract here and Contour has been serving the area to Philadelphia since.

Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself, the first thing he did with his driver's license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2022 with a B.S. in Aviation Management & Operations and a Minor in Business, and currently works for a major airline in his hometown.

Emirates Resumes Lagos-Dubai Flights on October 1

Starting October 1, Emirates offers daily flights between Lagos and Dubai, enhancing travel options and trade between Nigeria and the UAE.

Tolga Karadeniz

Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 04:35 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Emirates announced on Thursday the resumption of daily passenger flights between Lagos, Nigeria, and Dubai starting Oct. 1, 2024. The relaunch of this popular route will offer greater connectivity for travelers between Nigeria and Dubai, according to the airline.

Tickets are now available for booking on Emirates’ website or through travel agents. The service will be operated using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, featuring eight First Class suites, 42 Business Class seats, and 304 Economy Class seats.

“We are excited to resume our services to Nigeria,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, in a news release. “The Lagos-Dubai service has traditionally been popular with customers in Nigeria and we hope to reconnect leisure and business travelers to Dubai and onwards to our network of over 140 destinations. We thank the Nigerian government for their partnership and support in re-establishing this route and we look forward to welcoming passengers back onboard.”

The resumption of passenger flights also signifies positive developments for Emirates SkyCargo, the airline’s dedicated cargo division. Daily flights will provide over 300 tons of cargo capacity weekly in and out of Lagos, facilitating trade between Nigeria and the UAE. This will empower Nigerian businesses to export goods like Kola Nuts, food and beverages, and urgent courier materials to key markets. Additionally, Emirates SkyCargo will facilitate imports of essential goods like pharmaceuticals and electronics into Nigeria.

Emirates Strengthens African Presence

This relaunch strengthens Emirates’ presence in Africa, bringing its total number of African destinations served to 19, with 157 weekly flights departing from Dubai. Through codeshare and interline partnerships with airlines like South African Airways, Airlink, Royal Air Maroc, and Tunis Air, Emirates offers connections to a further 130 regional points within Africa.

The move comes amid growing economic ties between Nigeria and the UAE. As major hubs in their respective regions, both countries have witnessed a surge in bilateral trade in recent years. Emirates’ increased cargo capacity will further bolster this trend, streamlining the flow of goods and fostering new business opportunities.

Tolga Karadeniz

Tolga is a dedicated aviation enthusiast with years of experience in the industry. From an early age, his fascination with aviation went beyond a mere passion for travel, evolving into a deliberate exploration of the complex mechanics and engineering behind aircraft. As a writer, he aims to share insights , providing readers with a view into the complex inner workings of the aviation industry.

WestJet Ending Link Regional Service, Transitioning Flights to Encore

WestJet has announced that it will be ending the WestJet Link regional brand and transitioning its flights to WestJet Encore.

Andrew Chen

Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 09:50 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A WestJet Link Saab 340. (Photo: WestJet)

WestJet has announced that it will be ending the WestJet Link regional brand and transitioning its flights to WestJet Encore. The news marks the end of WestJet’s capacity purchase agreement with Pacific Coastal Airlines.

The End of WestJet Link

WestJet Link is the brand name used for regional flights in the WestJet network operated by Pacific Coastal. The partnership was established in 2017, with the first WestJet Link flights taking off in June of 2018.

Pacific Coastal is a regional airline that operates throughout the westernmost Canadian province of British Columbia. Over the past six years, the carrier has also operated feeder flights from WestJet’s hubs at Vancouver International Airport and Calgary International Airport under the WestJet Link brand. Although Pacific Coastal operates a variety of small regional aircraft, it exclusively flies 34-seat Saab 340B aircraft for WestJet.

WestJet has stated that the end of its Link brand will complete its capacity purchase agreement with Pacific Coastal. Flights currently operated under the WestJet Link brand will be transitioned to WestJet Encore, WestJet’s main regional subsidiary. WestJet Encore has a fleet of nearly 50 De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400 turboprop aircraft with 78 seats each.

Route Transition Details

Pacific Coastal currently operates six routes under the WestJet Link brand. From Calgary, it flies to Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport, Lethbridge Airport, and Medicine Hat Airport. Meanwhile, WestJet Link operations from Vancouver consist of flights to Comox Valley Airport, Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport, and Nanaimo Airport.

All routes will be transitioned to WestJet Encore by Oct. 27, 2024. Although WestJet has stated that most routes will see an increase in overall capacity, all routes will see decreased frequencies with the larger aircraft type:

Calgary – Cranbrook will transition from three daily Link flights (21 weekly flights) to 11 weekly Encore flights.
Calgary – Lethbridge will transition from three daily Link flights to one daily Encore flight.
Calgary – Medicine Hat will transition from three daily Link flights to one daily Encore flight.
Vancouver – Comox will transition from two daily Link flights to one daily Encore flight.
Vancouver – Cranbrook will transition from one daily Link flight to three weekly Encore flights.
Vancouver – Nanaimo will transition from two daily Link flights to four weekly Encore flights.

WestJet will continue to maintain a partnership with Pacific Coastal in the form of the two companies’ reciprocal interline agreement. “We are sincerely grateful for Pacific Coastal’s valued partnership over the last six years and look forward to our shared guests benefiting from our interline agreement going forward,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer.

Andrew Chen

Andrew is a lifelong lover of aviation and travel. He has flown all over the world and is fascinated by the workings of the air travel industry. As a private pilot and glider pilot who has worked with airlines, airports and other industry stakeholders, he is always excited to share his passion for aviation with others. In addition to being a writer, he also hosts Flying Smarter, an educational travel podcast that explores the complex world of air travel to help listeners become better-informed and savvier travelers.

United Gets FAA Green Light to Again Certify Aircraft, Add New Routes

United can once again certify aircraft and add routes after a nearly two-month-long FAA-mandated pause due to safety concerns.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 09:39 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A United Boeing 767 departs Washington Dulles International Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Noah Escobar)

United can once ramp up the certification of aircraft and add new routes after a nearly two-month-long FAA-mandated pause due to safety concerns. In an internal memo, the Chicago-based carrier announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is lifting restrictions on various certification activities.

“Due to recent safety events, the FAA is increasing oversight of United Airlines to ensure that it is complying with safety regulations; identifying hazards and mitigating risk; and effectively managing safety,” the agency said in a March statement. “Certification activities in process may be allowed to continue, but future projects may be delayed based on findings from oversight.”

Beginning in March, the FAA hampered the airline’s ability to add several new routes and aircraft after a slew of incidents earlier this year. This move resulted in the carrier postponing the launch of new service between Tokyo to Cebu, originally scheduled for July 31, and Newark to Faro, which was slated to begin in May.

While certification activities can start again, United told employees its work with the agency isn’t done yet. “Importantly though, our work with the FAA continues. There is more work to do, and we remain open to their perspective on things that can make us an even safer airline,” the memo added.

On May 9, the Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Office of Inspector General announced it would be probing the FAA’s oversight of United’s maintenance practices. “Specifically, we will evaluate FAA’s actions to address maintenance non-compliances and violations at the air carrier,” the DOT said.

FAA Says It Hasn’t Given Full Sign-Off

In a statement, the FAA added that it “has not approved any expansion of United Airlines’ routes or fleets. The Certificate Holder Evaluation Program that the FAA is conducting for United is ongoing and safety will determine the timeline for completing it.”

Personnel from the agency continue to be present as the airline conducts final inspections on newly delivered aircraft.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 5:21 p.m. ET to add a statement from the FAA.

Ryan Ewing

American Eyes New Service From Washington-DCA

As part of the FAA reauthorization bill, DCA is set to receive five more roundtrip slots that are outside of the mandated perimeter.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 07:55 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An American Airlines aircraft at Washington Reagan National Airport. (Photo: Shutterstock | The Bold Bureau)

American is looking to add a new route from Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA) after Congress approved an FAA reauthorization bill that includes additional slots outside of the perimeter. The carrier will pursue flights to San Antonio, according to a press release from the Central Texas airport on Wednesday.

The Fort Worth-based airline has long maintained a hub at DCA after the 2013 merger with US Airways. However, the majority of the carrier’s flights are within the 1,250-mile perimeter with a handful of exceptions, including Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. In total, 40 daily flights are exempt from the federally mandated rule.

As part of the FAA reauthorization bill, DCA is set to receive five more roundtrip slots that are outside of the perimeter. The bill – which was approved by Congress on Wednesday – now heads to the Oval Office for President Biden’s sign-off.

If Biden approves, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will have 60 days to allocate the slots. The last time ‘beyond perimeter’ slots were awarded was in 2012.

New Route to San Antonio

There are currently no nonstop flights between DCA and San Antonio, although United does serve the city from its Washington Dulles hub and Southwest from Baltimore. The City of San Antonio says DCA is one of its largest underserved markets.

“With Congress increasing the number of long-distance flights at DCA, American is thrilled to announce its intent to apply to serve San Antonio International Airport (SAT) from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA),” said American’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Real Estate and Chief Government Affairs Officer Nate Gatten in a press release. “San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and is the largest unserved market in Texas from DCA.”

Dubbed ‘Military City USA,’ San Antonio has a substantial military presence. Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is one of the largest single Department of Defense installations, employing nearly 80,000 people.

“We’re grateful to Senator Cruz, the San Antonio International Airport, and the city of San Antonio for their partnership to connect Military City USA to our nation’s capital on American Airlines,” Gatten continued.

The proposed route will depend on how the new slots are awarded. Despite DCA being a hub for American, the airport’s press release says that San Antonio will be the carrier’s only application.

Ryan Ewing