The number of U.S. airline hubs has dwindled during the past 15 years. Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Cleveland are among those that have fallen from the ranks thanks to mergers and broader structural changes that have reshaped the airline industry.
It's against that backdrop that United Airlines showed off the longevity of its Washington Dulles hub Monday, celebrating the 30-year anniversary its hub operation there.
United first designated the airport – located about 30 miles from downtown Washington in suburban northern Virginia – as a hub in May 1986.
At the time, United offered an average of 58 daily departures to 24 destinations. Today, United operates more than 200 daily departures to 83 destinations. That includes “capital-to-capital service to nearly 40 airports” serving either state or national capital cities, United says in a statement commemorating the Dulles hub anniversary.
“United is the pivotal player here at Dulles Airport, so we’re very happy they’re celebrating their 30th anniversary, and we wish them 30-plus more,” John Potter, CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that runs Dulles and Reagan National airports, says to Loudoun Now.
United plans to grow its international flight schedule at Dulles later this month, when nonstop seasonal routes will launch to Barcelona and Lisbon. United also is seeking government approval to begin another “capital to capital route” from Dulles to Havana, Cuba.
“Over the last 30 years, United has employed nearly 17,000 dedicated employees at IAD who have helped connect more than 500 million people through Washington Dulles to destinations around the globe,” Jon Roitman, United’s SVP of airport operations, says in a statement. “We are committed to providing our customers at IAD and throughout the world with an elevated travel experience, and we look forward to delivering unmatched service from the national capital region for decades to come.”
