Over the weekend, United Airlines launched service onboard its new fleet of Embraer E-175 aircraft. These flights will be flown under the United Express brand and will be operated by SkyWest Airlines and Mesa Airlines. The first city to see the new aircraft on routes to and from United’s hub at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) was Reagan National Airport in Washington DC (DCA), where flights began on Saturday. That was followed on Monday with flights between ORD and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). United plans a rapid expansion of this fleet over the next 19 months, with a total of 70 E-175s expected in the United Express fleet by the end of 2015.
Following the first two routes, a major expansion is expected to follow in June. From ORD, flights will operate to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), Atlanta (ATL), and LaGuardia in New York City. From United’s hub in San Francisco (SFO), flights will operate to St. Louis (STL), Austin (AUS), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and MSP. Finally, Atlanta will also see service from United’s hub at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
The E-175s being added to the United Express fleet are among the first to be delivered by the Brazilian manufacturer in an upgraded, more fuel efficient form. This new and improved model can be easily distinguished from the older models, just by looking at the winglets. On the new aircraft, the winglets slope outward at an angle, whereas on older models they are vertical. The new E-175s are intended to replace older, less efficient regional aircraft. They join other Embraer aircraft in the United Express fleet including E-120 Brasilia turboprops, and E-135 and E-145 small regional jets. They also join a fleet of the E175’s predecessor, the slightly shorter E-170. Each E-175 is equipped with 76 seats, divided between 12 First Class seats and 64 Economy Class seats.
Ben Granucci, Associate Editor, is an aviation enthusiast and planespotter based in New York City. Growing up in Connecticut, he has had his eyes toward the sky for as long as he can remember. He can be reached on Twitter at @BLGranucci or through his blog at Landing-Lights.com.
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