LONDON – According to data from RadarBox.com, United Airlines has achieved 1,000 daily flights more than what they achieved in 2019, known as the pre-pandemic period.
This is quite a substantial figure for the carrier, which has been adding a plethora of flights month-on-month, showing exactly how far the carrier has come in the last 12 months.
Without further ado, let’s get into the numbers…
The Numbers…
For November 19-26, the airline handled 3,461 movements based on a seven-day rolling average, which is an increase of 3.78% compared to the same period last year.
This means that the airline is exceeding pre-pandemic numbers by a staggering 1,276 movements, showing a clear-cut recovery from the pandemic.
Below is the last four weeks’ worth of data from the carrier:
| Date | 2019 Numbers | 2021 Numbers | 2022 Numbers | Percentage Difference (2022 vs. 2021) |
| October 21-29 | 2203 movements | 3339 movements | 3425 movements | +2.58% |
| October 29-November 5 | 2260 movements | 3443 movements | 3304 movements | -4.04% |
| November 5-12 | 2252 movements | 3460 movements | 3338 movements | -3.53% |
| November 12-19 | 2269 movements | 3450 movements | 3387 movements | -1.83% |
The last four weeks’ worth of data shows a recovery in itself from negative percentage differences to managing a strong 3.78% increase this week.
On top of this, you can see that the airline has been achieving 1,000+ flights extra in 2021 as well, showing that such consistency is working well in United’s favor.
United Expansion Into South Africa Will Bolster Numbers…
United Airlines’ recent expansion plans into South Africa, adding more flights, will no doubt help bolster numbers and keep the airline in the positive percentage points.
The airline announced the launch of a service between Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) and Cape Town International Airport, South Africa (CTIA).
The non-stop service will be scheduled three times a week, mirroring the already-in-service New York – Cape Town route that operates out of Newark Airport.
For its first flight, it left Dulles International on November 17th at 18:40. The route, which takes approximately 14.5 hours aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, is planned to operate on service number UA 2222.
The launch of this route means that United is the first airline to provide non-stop and round-trip services from Washington DC to Cape Town.
Based on two-way passenger volume, Cape Town is historically the United States’ third-largest international market. Passenger volumes between the two countries in the first quarter of 2019 were 213,000.
When comparing that to the first quarter passenger numbers for 2022, this represents a fifty-one percent increase in traffic numbers.
Overall…
It remains clear that United Airlines’ strategy is working well, and pressing ahead does seem to be the way to tackle the global factors which are going to enhance their revenue streams moving forward.
As long as they keep their costs under control, the carrier does have a strong chance at producing a full-year profit, which will be a key priority for them post-pandemic.
For now, all eyes are on United to see what their next moves will be and whether they could potentially elevate their flight movements closer to 4,000 flights week-by-week.
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