Tag Archives: Bush Intercontinental

Frontier Airlines to start Houston-San Francisco service on November 20

Frontier Airlines (2nd) (Denver) starting on November 20 will launch daily nonstop service between Houston (Bush Intercontinental) and San Francisco as the airline continues to add routes away its traditional Denver hub.

Frontier is a subsidiary and operating brand of Indigo Partners, LLC.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-111 N919FR (msn 1980) with Lance, the Ocelot, approaches the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.

Frontier Airlines (2nd):

Current Route Map:

Spirit Airlines files to serve Mexico from Houston Bush Intercontinental

Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) has filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for route authority to start scheduled passenger service between Houston (Bush Intercontinental) and Cancun, Toluca and San Jose del Cabo. If approved, which is expected, Spirit will compete against United Airlines and AeroMexico.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N611NK (msn 4996) arrives at Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA).

Spirit Airlines:

United Airlines to return to Santiago, Chile

United Airlines (Chicago) will start Houston (Bush Intercontinental)-Santiago, Chile daily service on December 7. The route will be flown with Boeing 767-300 ERs.

Additionally the company will also operate a weekly Houston (Bush)-Punta Cana route starting on December 20 with Boeing 737-800s and a weekly Chicago (O’Hare)-Belize City route also starting also on December 20 with Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

On Monday, June 16 United issued this statement:

United Airlines has announced the company will introduce service to Santiago, Chile, from its hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, beginning on December 7, 2014, subject to government approval.

Houston-Santiago, Chile

Flight UA 847 will depart Houston daily at 9:05 p.m. (2105) and arrive in Santiago at 9:40 a.m. (0940) the next day. Return flight UA 846 will depart Santiago daily at 10:45 p.m. (2245) and arrive in Houston at 5:40 a.m. (0540) the following day. (All times are local.)

The flights are timed to provide convenient connections from Houston to 111 airports across the United States and to more than 60 international destinations.

United will operate its Houston-Santiago service with Boeing 767-300 aircraft with a total of 214 seats – 30 flat-bed seats in United BusinessFirst and 184 seats in United Economy, including 49 extra-legroom United Economy Plus seats.

Additional New Service

United also is boosting its Central America and Caribbean connections, beginning December 20, 2014:

Houston-Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with year-round service on Saturdays and service on Sundays during periods of expected higher demand

Chicago-Belize City, Belize, subject to government approval, with Saturday service scheduled through early May 2015

This winter, United also plans to expand its Houston-Aruba service. The airline currently offers Saturday Houston-Aruba flights that are scheduled to continue through mid-August 2014. On December 20, the company will resume Saturday service that will continue through early May 2015 and begin service on Sundays for periods of expected higher demand.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-322 ER N676UA (msn 30028) approaches the runway at Washington’s Dulles International Airport.

United Airlines (current):

A near miss involving two United Airbus A320s at Houston on May 9

United Airlines (Chicago) had two Airbus A320s involved in a near miss while departing from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on the evening of May 9. Flight UA 601 was departing from runway 9 to Vancouver, British Columbia while UA 437 was departing on runway 15L bound for Mexico City. The two A320s came within 400 feet of each other according to KHOU Channel 11 in Houston. The FAA is investigating the incident.

Read the full story: CLICK HERE

United Airlines (current):

United to connect the oil patch of Williston, North Dakota to Houston starting on August 19

United Airlines (Chicago) will start nonstop United Express service from its Houston (Bush Intercontinental) to the oil patch area at Williston in the western part of North Dakota starting on August 19. The new route will be operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Atlanta) and was announced by Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota. ExpressJet already flies the Williston-Denver route for United Airlines (see the map below).

Read the full report from The Republic: CLICK HERE

Additionally, United will also commence nonstop United Express service from its Denver hub to Lafayette, Indiana also starting on August 19 per Airline Route.

The carrier will start daily nonstop Houston (Bush Intercontinental)-Hartford/Springfield Embraer 175 flights starting on October 15.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. United Express Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N16559 (msn 145603) operated by ExpressJet Airlines prepares to land in Charlotte.

United Airlines (current):

United Express-ExpressJet:

United Express-ExpressJet Route Map:

SAS to connect the oil region of Norway with Houston, Texas

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) is launching services between Stavanger, Norway and Houston (Bush Intercontinental) on August 20. This fulfils the wishes of leading players in the oil industry for better connections between Norway, and the rest of Scandinavia, and Houston, Texas.

The route will be operated by a business version of the Boeing 737-700 and will have an SAS Long Haul Business Class concept on board, with just 44 comfortable business seats, along with a modern inflight entertainment system and full-service meals and service.

SAS has entered into a wet lease agreement with PrivatAir (Geneva) , which has this special version of the Boeing 737-700. The aircraft will carry SAS’s distinctive colors and logo.

The route will launch on August 20, just ahead of the major oil exhibition in Stavanger, Offshore Northern Seas (ONS). Tickets for route, which will operate daily except Saturdays, go on sale on April 29.

Read the article by Bloomberg Businessweek: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Ariel Shocron/AirlinersGallery.com. SAS’ Boeing 737-783 LN-RRB (msn 32276) approaches the runway at Madrid (Barajas).

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS:

PrivatAir:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Keith Burton/AirlinersGallery.com. PrivatAir’s Boeing 737-7AK HB-JJA (34303) arrives in Amsterdam.

United Airlines starts to move into a new Chicago area headquarters

United Airlines Boeing 757-224 WL N29124 (msn 27565) IAH (Jeffrey S. DeVore) (first 757 in new colors), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

United Airlines (Chicago) is moving into headquarters. The first 280 United Airlines employees are moving into new offices as the company begins relocating its operations center in Elk Grove Village to its new location in Willis Tower. This is the first phase of the move of more than 2,500 people who currently work at the company’s Elk Grove facility.

United currently plans to occupy 12 floors at Willis Tower, three more floors than the company originally announced in August of 2009.

United has been Chicago’s “hometown airline” for more than 80 years and after the move to Willis Tower is complete, United expects to employ more than 13,000 people in the city.

United anticipates moving more than 1,000 employees into Willis Tower by year end, and expects that the remaining moves will occur over the next 18 months.

Copyright Photo: Jeffrey S. DeVore. The first Boeing 757 in the new (old) colors is this 757-224 N29124 (msn 27565) pictured at the Houston hub.

Atlas Air starts the “Houston Express”

Atlas Air (SonAir) Boeing 747-481 N263SG (msn 29263) IAH (Jeffrey S. DeVore), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (New York-JFK) announced today (June 2) that its Atlas Air unit has launched new outsourced premium passenger private charter service on behalf of the United States-Africa Energy Association (USAEA). The service, known as the “Houston Express,” has been made possible by a commercial arrangement with USAEA’s agent, SonAir-Serviço Aéreo, S.A. (SonAir), an Angolan company.

Beginning this week, Atlas Air is operating three weekly nonstop flights between George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and Luanda, Angola. The newly customized Boeing 747-400 aircraft, provided by SonAir’s parent company, feature 10 First Class, 143 Business Class and 36 Economy Class seats with the latest in-flight entertainment and comfort.

Not available to the public, the service provides USAEA members with a premium, nonstop link to support long-term energy projects in West Africa.

The flights depart Houston on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the 14-hour, 20 minute eastbound journey, returning from Luanda on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with a flight time of 15:05.

The first round-trip flight arrived in Houston today – constituting the first Atlas-operated aircraft carrying passengers.

Copyright Photo: Jeffrey S. DeVore. Atlas Air’s Boeing 747-481 N263SG (msn 29263) is pictured on the ramp at Houston (Bush Intercontinental).

ExpressJet Holdings loses $16.1 million in the first quarter

United Express-ExpressJet Airlines Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N11544 (msn 145557) IAH (Jeffrey S. DeVore), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

ExpressJet Holdings, Inc. (Houston-Bush Intercontinental), parent company of regional and charter airline operator, ExpressJet Airlines, Inc., today reported a first quarter loss of $16.1 million or $0.93 per share. Excluding special items, ExpressJet’s loss totaled $12.7 million or $0.73 per share.

Under its capacity purchase agreement with Continental Airlines, ExpressJet flew 162,823 block hours using an average of 208 aircraft. The year-over-year improvement in block hours led to ExpressJet utilizing each aircraft an average of 8 hours and 41 minutes per day-a 6.2% year-over-year improvement. In first quarter 2010, ExpressJet generated 1.9 million revenue passenger miles on 2.5 million available seat miles, producing a load factor of 76% within its Continental Express operation.

ExpressJet continued the expansion phase of its United Express operation, where it flew an average of 16 aircraft during the first quarter. The United Express operation produced 14,432 block hours or average daily utilization of 9 hours and 54 minutes per day. Within the United Express operation, ExpressJet flew 197,244 available seat miles, generating 138,832 revenue passenger miles and a load factor of 70.4%. Currently, ExpressJet operates 22 aircraft in its United Express operation and expects to add 10 additional aircraft on May 1, 2010.

ExpressJet flew 3,027 block hours during the first quarter with an average of 20 aircraft, 6.3% less than first quarter 2009 when 30 aircraft were allocated to ExpressJet’s Corporate Aviation (charter) fleet. With the addition of United Express flying, ExpressJet expects to operate only six 50-seat aircraft within the Corporate Aviation (charter) division for the remainder of 2010. ExpressJet expects the resizing of the Corporate Aviation (charter) fleet will enhance the revenue production per charter aircraft on a go-forward basis.

ExpressJet operated a total of 244 aircraft during first quarter and expects its 2010 fleet plan from May to December 2010 to consist of 244 fifty-seat aircraft allocated as follows:

206 aircraft flying as Continental Express;
32 aircraft flying as United Express; and
6 aircraft flying within Corporate Aviation (charter).

Copyright Photo: Jeffrey S. DeVore. Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N11544 (msn 145557) has now been painted in full United Express colors.