United is cutting 12 more routes from its hubs in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago — see the full list
- United is cutting routes originating in LA, San Francisco, Chicago, and other cities.
- The airline's West Coast hubs will see most of the cuts.
United Airlines is slashing routes from some of its biggest hubs as the nation's fourth-largest carrier continues to aggressively drop small cities amid a nationwide pilot shortage.
The Chicago-based carrier is suspending 12 routes originating in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and Newark, the Points Guy first reported and the airline later confirmed to Insider.
Here are all the routes being cut in the latest adjustment:
- San Francisco to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
- San Francisco to St. Louis Lambert International Airport
- San Francisco to Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City
- San Francisco to Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin
- Los Angeles to Colorado Springs Airport in Colorado
- Los Angeles to Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin
- Los Angeles to Eugene Airport in Oregon
- Los Angeles to Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport in Oregon
- Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Santa Barbara Airport in California
- Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Eugene Airport in Oregon
- Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Canada's Edmonton International Airport
- Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Bentonville, Arkansas
United regularly adjusts its schedule for a variety of reasons, including demand and the broader need of its network, the airline said.
As carriers continue to recover from the pandemic slowdown, United ranks as the fourth largest airline in the United States based on available seats, according to data from the International Aviation Transportation Agency.
United has been cutting routes for over a year now and grounding regional jets due to not having enough pilots. A combination of low passenger demand, staffing shortages, and high operating costs have forced United, American, and Delta to abandon smaller markets.
US airlines don't have a civic responsibility to serve small towns, Atmosphere Research Group president and travel analyst Henry Harteveldt previously told Insider.
"Airlines are going to seek out markets that they believe will give them an advantage, but if a city isn't profitable, they will cut it," Harteveldt said.