United Airlines plans to add 18 new shuttle flights between Newark Airport and Washington D.C., starting Sunday providing almost hourly shuttle service, officials announced Tuesday.
The added flights were previously announced in January 2020, but never left the ground due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Robert Einhorn, a United spokesman.
The flights are being added as air travel and traffic at airports are slowly rebounding from pandemic lows. Passenger volume at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey airports was 32% lower in mid-October than pre-pandemic rates, officials said.
United’s new shuttle service between New York/Newark Liberty International Airport and Reagan National Airport will operate seven days a week, with 18 flights offering nearly hourly service between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., which officials said provides more frequency than any other airline.
United also will also operate five daily flights between New York/Newark Liberty International Airport and Washington Dulles Airport starting Sunday for a total of 9 flights to that airport.
“We’re seeing a lot of pent-up demand in our data and are offering a schedule that our customers want this includes both leisure and some domestic business travel,” Einhorn said.
The additional flights represent a 78% increase. The shuttle flights will use the dual-class CRJ-550 – the world’s first 50-seat regional jet with first-class seats and amenities, which airline officials said is a “customer favorite.”
Backing up that fleet is the new 737 MAX-8 introduced by the airline in June.
“By flying spacious, modern planes out of the New York City area, we’re not only giving our customers more flexibility and choice but we’re also delivering a reliable, premium experience overall,” said Ankit Gupta, Senior Vice President of Domestic Planning and United Express in a statement.
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
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