United Airlines plans to relaunch its regular operations to Los Angeles and San Francisco from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, the United States, after a long five-year break. The American air carrier plans to start the flights in 2021.
United Airlines considers to end a five-year-long break and restart the flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. The airline bets on the chance to manage the impact of the COVID-19 on air travel by implementing an aggressive strategy and hopes to attract passenger demand by offering twice-daily to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). With this move, the carrier hopes to attract the number of passengers that it lost in its hub in Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
The airline announced that it would operate both JFK – LAX and JFK – SFO routes with two round-trips for each west coast city using a reconfigured Boeing 767-300ER aircraft starting from February 1, 2021. In a statement released on November 10, 2020, United Airlines declared that it would provide all-aisle-access seating for Business class passengers while offering an extended variant of the premium cabin which would be able to carry a total of 46 travelers. Meanwhile, the airline would also offer the renewed seating layover featuring 22 seats in Premium class, 27 in Economy Plus, and 52 seats in Economy class.
“United Airlines’ return to JFK Airport is a clear sign that air travel is returning in New York and across the region,” said Rick Cotton, the Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“As numbers start to rise, the Port Authority is ready to welcome travelers back to JFK, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia Airports with increased cleaning and sanitizing in all terminals and touch-free options from the curb to gate to ensure a world-class travel experience even in these unprecedented times,” added Cotton.
United Airlines suspended operations from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on October 25, 2015, when it decided to move all of its premium transcontinental flights to Newark Liberty Airport (EWR).