According to a memo sent to crews Wednesday, United Airlines is planning to open new pilot bases in May of 2023.
Airline Weekly got a copy of the memo.
The carrier will be opening a pilot base for the first time in more than two decades. There will be 204 pilots in Las Vegas and 300 in Florida. There is a chance that the location could also include the city of Tampa. The new bases will shave off hours from the commute of pilots to other bases.
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The bases won't be used as new hubs. The new pilot bases were established to shorten commute times for pilots and to reduce delays. Thousands of United pilots live in Florida and Nevada.
The managing director of flight crew sources said in the Wednesday memo that having pilots positioned in more locations throughout the country will help bolster their operational integrity.
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The pilots of United can live wherever they please, but they have to commute to their bases to fly. If a pilot lives in Florida but has to fly to Chicago or San Francisco to work their flights, it can be inconvenient.
The carrier used to have a base in ClevelandHopkins International Airport, which was a hub until 2014).
The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 13,000 United pilots, and the Chicago-based carrier had a difficult contract negotiation. The United pilots rejected a tentative agreement that would have given them 15% raises over 18 months. The raise was given earlier than planned.
The new bases will be good news for our pilots, our customers and our airlines, according to the memo.
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