US Domestic Widebody Flights Remain Well Above Pre-Pandemic Level
Summary
- United provides nearly half of the USA’s domestic widebody flights
- Thanks to retiring the Boeing 767 and Airbus A330, American has seen the biggest reduction in such flying
- With 59 weekly departures, New York JFK-Los Angeles (by Delta) remains #1 for twin-aisles
In the first week of September, the USA has 1,284 weekly twin-aisle scheduled flights, with one in every 115 domestic services being by them. Previously, I found that fewer than 100 airports globally have widebody passenger flights in September.
Domestic US widebody flights
Using data supplied by carriers to Cirium reveals that the planned 1,284 weekly flights is greater than in the same seven days between 2012 and 2020:
Source of data: Cirium. Figure: James Pearson.
Of course, 2021 was exceptional, as border restrictions meant that airlines were heavily limited to where they could fly internationally and therefore redeployed assets to the domestic market. Without this, the downward trajectory would undoubtedly have continued.
Yet while such flights have now reduced by 43% versus 2021, they remain more than a fifth above the 2019 level. Airlines have not reduced them as much as might have been expected, with the following map showing all such passenger services in the examined period, including to/from US territories.
(Based on the first week of September 2023.) Image: GCMap.
Four airlines
With almost one in two flights, United continues to be by far the largest operator in this market. It has nearly as many domestic widebody flights as Delta, Hawaiian, and American put together.
While to massively varying degrees, the four carriers collectively use the A330-200, A330-300, A330neo, A350-900, 767-300, 767-400ER, 777-200, 777-300ER, 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 on intra-US flights. Mainly thanks to United, the 777-200 is the most used type.
(Old livery but great image.) Photo: Santi Rodriguez I Shutterstock.
Given American retired its 767-300s and A330s in the wake of the coronavirus, it is not surprising that it has fallen from second place in 2019 to last now. It has reduced domestic twin-aisle flights much more than the other carriers.
|
Airline |
Weekly domestic widebody flights: Sept 2023* |
Number of routes** |
Top route |
|---|---|---|---|
|
United |
611 |
27 |
Newark-San Francisco |
|
Delta |
308 |
15 |
New York JFK-Los Angeles |
|
Hawaiian |
236 |
15 |
Honolulu-Los Angeles |
|
American |
129 |
8 |
Dallas Fort Worth-Miami |
|
* First week of the month |
** Includes any one-offs |
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying.
Top five domestic widebody airport pairs
If the networks of United, Delta, Hawaiian, and American are combined, the five airport pairs with the most twin-aisle flights are as follows:
|
Airport pair |
Weekly flights: Sept* |
Airline(s) |
Aircraft* (ordered by flights) |
Find flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New York JFK-Los Angeles |
59 |
Delta |
767-300, 767-400ER, A330neo |
|
|
Newark-San Francisco |
52 |
United |
777-200, 777-300ER |
|
|
Honolulu-Los Angeles |
49 |
Hawaiian, Delta, United |
A330-200 (Hawaiian), 767-300 (Delta), 777-200 (United) |
|
|
Honolulu-San Francisco |
26 |
United, Hawaiian |
777-200 (United), A330-200 (Hawaiian), 777-300ER (United) |
|
|
Newark-Los Angeles |
24 |
United |
777-200, 787-10 |
|
|
* Each way in the first week of the month |
* Analyzed period only |
Delta resumed regular widebody service between New York JFK and Los Angeles in 2013. Cirium shows that American ceased using such equipment on the airport pair in 2021 (then by the 777-200, as shown below), entirely switching to the A321.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.
United recommenced JFK-Los Angeles in 2021, with flights by the 767-300 between March and October, when the 757 took over. The route ended in October 2022 (marking United’s exit from JFK) as the carrier consolidated at its huge Newark hub.
Will you be flying any of the routes mentioned in the article? Let us know in the comments.
Sources of information: Cirium.
