United Airlines is making some significant changes. They are in the news today for purchasing 100 new Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes to replace some of their current fleet's big, aging 767 and 777 jets. In addition, they have announced that they are adding "thousands of jobs" at the San Francisco Airport as part of their expansion there.
The part United did not announce with as much fanfare is that they are about to cut flights from its 36th city since 2020. Service to Pueblo, Colorado, is ending on January 14, 2023. While I'm sure that the Denver to Pueblo route that flies twice a day is hardly full, whenever there is change, we can't help but wonder, "what about me?"
Could United Airlines ever pull out of Boise? The answer is yes, but it seems highly unlikely. The list of 36 cities that United has stopped service includes Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Evansville, Indiana; Lansing, Michigan; Tallahassee, Florida and Twin Falls, Idaho.
The difference between those cities and Boise is that their airports are "Nonprimary Commercial, Nonhub Airports." Boise has recently been elevated to a Primary, Medium Hub Airport. The Boise airport is in the same class as much bigger cities like Buffalo, New York; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio, Nashville, Tennessee; and Dallas, Texas. Even though Boise doesn't have nearly the traffic of some other airports in its classification, it reflects where airline companies and the FAA see our growth headed.
Airlines looking to make budget cuts to buy new airplanes or fund an expansion project in another city will likely make their cuts in other locations. As far as the airline industry is concerned, Boise, home to the 67th busiest airport in America, is an excellent place to do business both now and in the future.
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