As part of the United Next growth plan, Chicago-based United Airlines has achieved plenty of successful milestones this year in the post-pandemic era, but it doesn't stop there. The airline will open at least two new pilot crew bases within the spring of next year, which will signify the first time new locations were ever opened in nearly two decades.
Preparing for the summer peak
The Star Alliance member airline currently has nine pilot bases across the country, including Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Denver International Airport, Guam International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport.
And in May 2023, ahead of the summer peak season, United Airlines will have 11 pilot bases as it opens a new crew base at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport, where at least 204 pilot vacancies will be available. Another base will be opened at Orlando International Airport, and the airline expects to offer at least 300 pilot positions there. These two airports were chosen explicitly as Nevada and Florida have the highest number of pilots outside the airline's nine bases.
Besides these two airports, United Airlines hinted at a potential for pilots at Orlando International Airport to co-terminal with their colleagues based close by at Tampa International Airport. All the crew bases will be exclusively for pilots operating the Boeing 737 aircraft, which the airline currently houses close to 390 of several variants and has more than 350 on order.
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Improving relationships with the pilots
While opening new pilot bases does come as part of the United Next strategy, and for the airline to schedule its crew resources more efficiently, it also comes at a time when the airline is in the middle of a salary negotiation with its current pilots.
Despite being offered a tentative salary resolution in June, a proposal that was described by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) as 'raising the bar' for all airline pilots, more than 9,000 United Airlines' pilots, or around 94%, rejected it. The rejection came after these pilots claimed that the offer was far too low, especially since United Airlines was already profitable and achieving some remarkable milestones.
In response, the airline said it expected the rejection and was already working on a new agreement that would satisfy everyone with improved pay rates and other enhancements. Since the new bases are supposedly aimed at reducing or even possibly eliminating commuting time for pilots, it could be part of the 'other enhancements' that United Airlines is working on.
Bottom line
Considering the airline is still approximately 3,300 employees short of what it had in early 2020, the new bases will help improve the numbers. Plenty of new pilots will join United Airlines, which could lighten the ramped-up workload for current pilots, especially during the summer season. However, the question does beg how would more pilots within the airline affect the salary negotiations?
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United Airlines
- Region:
- North America
- Loyalty Program:
- MileagePlus
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Orlando International Airport
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- MCO/KMCO
- Country:
- United States
- CEO:
- Phil Brown
- Passenger Count :
- 40,351,068 (2021)
- Runways :
- 17L/35R - 2,743m (9,000ft) | 17R/35L - 3,048m (10,000ft) | 18L/36R - 3,659m (12,000ft) | 18R/36L - 3,659m (12,000ft)
- Terminals:
- Terminal A | Terminal B
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Harry Reid International Airport
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- LAS/KLAS
- Country:
- United States
- Passenger Count :
- 39,754,366 (2021)
- Runways :
- 1L/19R - 2,740m (8,989ft) | 1R/19L - 2,978m (9,770ft) | 8L/26R - 4,424m (14,514ft) | 8R/26L - 3,208m (10,524ft)
- Terminals:
- Terminal 1 | Terminal 3
