United ends 17 routes as airlines manage worsening US pilot shortage

The pilot situation in the US is getting worse before it gets better. United Airlines will end 17 routes, and exit one city, in its latest round of staffing-related schedule reductions. The Chicago-based carrier will exit Alexandria, La., on June 2 when it ends flights from its Houston Bush Intercontinental hub, Cirium schedule data show. The city joins at least eight other smaller communities that United has exited citing a pilot shortage at its regional affiliates. In addition, United will end 16 routes from its Denver, Chicago O’Hare, Houston, Newark, and Washington Dulles hubs in May and June. Chicago and Washington will see the most cuts with the former losing flights to Bismarck, N.D., Charlottesville, Va., Jackson, Miss., Pasco, Wash., and Redmond-Bend, Ore.; and the latter to Allentown, Pa., Lexington, Ky., Madison, Wis., Oklahoma City, and Pensacola, Fla., according to Cirium. Some of the routes are operating and will end, while others were due to begin in June and have now been pulled from schedules entirely. United previously cut 14 routes at Dulles due to the shortage. A United spokesperson said the cuts were part of its “regular adjustments to our schedule in response to market demand and staffing resources.”<br/>