United Airlines filed an application to launch a new daily round trip flight between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), connecting two major cities, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.
DCA-SFO flight will be operated by the Boeing MAX 8 aircraft, which has a total of 166 seats in the cabin, with 150 of them being in the economy class. The new flight will offer a morning departure from DCA to SFO and an afternoon departure from SFO to DCA.
As stated by the airline’s officials, this route will provide additional schedule options to travelers and avoid busier travel times at DCA airport, which is already one of the most overcrowded airports in the country. If approved, the new route is projected to link about two dozen domestic routes within the Western US and seven international destinations from SFO.
“With our hub in San Francisco, United is well positioned to serve the strong customer demand for air travel between Washington National and the Bay Area,” Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United Airlines, commented in a press release. “If awarded by the DOT, this new service will give customers a unique morning departure from Washington National and a unique afternoon departure from San Francisco, as well as more connectivity for both domestic and international travelers via SFO.”
As an alternative to the DCA-SFO flight, United Airlines is also considering launching its first ever DCA-Los Angeles (LAX) flight. Currently only American Airlines, Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines fly this route from DCA airport. The proposed flight would also be operated on the Boeing MAX 8 aircraft.