In May 2023, new pilot bases will be established by United Airlines in Orlando and Las Vegas, according to a document distributed to crews on Wednesday.
The first to report on this news was Airline Weekly, which had a copy of the memo.
The Chicago-based carrier will inaugurate a pilot base as a result of the modifications for the first time in more than 20 years.
There will be 204 pilots based in Las Vegas and 300 in Orlando.
Tampa might also be part of the Orlando location.
Both bases will reduce the amount of time that pilots must spend traveling between bases and will be reserved solely for Boeing 737 pilots.
No new hubs for the airline will be built at the bases.
In addition to reducing commuting times for pilots, one of the main goals of building the new pilot bases was to do so.
In addition, a large number of United pilots live in Florida and Nevada, outside of the carrier's existing bases.
According to the email released on Wednesday by Zach Shapiro, managing director of flight crew sourcing for United, "having pilots positioned in multiple areas throughout the country would also assist enhance our operational integrity."
The majority of United's bases were located in its hubs; although pilots are free to reside wherever they like, they are nonetheless required to commute to their bases in order to operate flights.
These journeys are frequently uncomfortable, particularly for Florida-based pilots who must fly to Chicago or San Francisco to work for their flights, for example.
Eight airports in the United States serve as its hubs: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Denver International Airport (DEN), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
In addition to having bases in its hubs, United also owns a base at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), which served as a carrier hub up until 2014.
The news of the new locations follows difficult contract discussions between the Chicago-based airline and the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 13,000 United pilots.
A proposed agreement that would have awarded United pilots 15% raises over 18 months was rejected in November, according to ALPA, who claimed the contract "fell short."
After that, the airline handed pilots a 5% rise earlier than expected.
Shapiro nonetheless highlighted in the memo that the new sites would be "excellent news for our pilots, our passengers, and our airlines," referring to them as a "win-win-win" scenario.
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