United adding gates in San Francisco to accommodate growth

United Airlines will start using gates in boarding area A at San Francisco International to accommodate its continuing growth. The carrier will begin operating select Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 family flights from the 12-gate concourse "soon", said Howard Attarian, senior VP of flight operations at United, in a newsletter to pilots Aug 11. The additional gates will allow United to accommodate additional flying and improve operational flexibility at San Francisco, he says. United has grown aggressively at San Francisco in recent years. In June, it increased service on 18 routes from the airport in response to new competition from Alaska Airlines, which bought Virgin America in late 2016. It has also added new service to Hartford, Sonoma County and Spokane this year. <br/>