United Airlines will voluntarily cut about 50 daily departures at Newark Liberty International Airport next month, viewing the move as necessary to relive congestion and improve on-time performance.
United Airlines Voluntarily Reduces Schedule At Newark To Minimize Congestion
Despite strong demand and sufficient aircraft and flight crews, United Airlines will cut about 50 flights per day starting in July. Here’s what we know so far:
Schedule change is effective July 1, 2022
The ~50 departures which are impacted are domestic flights only
The flight cancellations represent about 12% of United’s Newark schedule
Only frequency reductions will take place, no market or route suspensions
In a memo to employees by Jon Roitman, United’s Chief Operations Officer, makes clear the schedule reductions are not due to staffing shortages, but due to a desire to reduce excessive delays.
Even though we have the planes, pilots, crews, and staff to support our Newark schedule, this waiver will allow us to remove about 50 daily departures which should help minimize excessive delays and improve on-time performance – not only for our customers, but for everyone flying through Newark.
Live and Let’s Fly has reached out to United to ask if the schedule reductions will result in upgrades to larger aircraft on other frequencies and how the 12% reduction in flights will impact the overall availability of seats from Newark. When we hear back, we will update this story.
United is now reaching out to impacted passengers and offering them alternate routing options. Without offsetting the flight reductions with more seats via larger aircraft, the reduction in flights from Newark will theoretically push up flights costs even more on the planes that do operate. United does not plan schedule changes at its other hubs this summer.
CONCLUSION
As long as the weather cooperates, all passengers departing from Newark Airport can expect a smoother experience next month with United eliminating 50 daily domestic flights from its schedule. However, don’t expect this change to be permanent. Roitman hopes to revert to a full scheduled as soon as possible and is now calling upon others carriers to follow its lead.
Travel demand in Newark has never been stronger and we will continue to partner with the FAA and Port Authority so we can reinstate these 50 daily departures and revert to a full schedule from Newark as soon as possible. In the interim, all carriers – not just United – need to continue to work with the FAA to mitigate Newark congestion.