United drops Cleveland hub
United Airlines is axing 60% of flights from its Cleveland airport hub from April with the loss of up to 470 jobs.
In a letter to airline staff, CEO Jeff Smisek said the hub "had generated tens of millions of dollars of annual losses in recent years" and will reduce daily flights at the airport from a current 199 to 72.
Late last year the carrier announced it would aim to cut $2 billion in annual operating costs through flight consolidation, increased staff productivity and streamlining maintenance operations.
Cleveland had been a hub for Continental Airlines prior to the United-Continental merger in 2010, and its downgrade from hub status was expected due to United’s much larger Midwestern hub in nearby Chicago.
In an open letter posted on the United website, customers affected by the schedule changes will be notified of proposed new itineraries by the airline.
The carrier added that it remains committed to serving 20 key destinations non-stop from Cleveland such as New York, Boston, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports