CommutAir, a United Express carrier, began flying from its new hub in Denver this week, continuing a stretch of remarkable growth. Just nine months ago, CommutAir had 37 aircraft operating from two hubs. Today, the airline has 168 aircraft, with 60 in revenue service and serves hubs in Denver, Houston, Washington-Dulles, and Newark. The company also has a maintenance base in Albany, New York, and plans to open an additional maintenance base soon.
The Denver hub opening comes only six months after the company opened its largest hub in Houston, which includes a 47,000 square foot maintenance hangar and a 50,000 square foot training centre.
To support its growth, the company has already hired over 200 pilots in the first quarter of 2021 and plans to recruit up to 400 additional new pilots by the end of the year. CommutAir is proud to be a United Express partner for Aviate, United Airlines’ pilot development program. CommutAir pilots who are in Aviate can transition to United as a First Officer upon successful completion of the Aviate program and hiring requirements.
“We are thrilled to start operations in Denver today,” said Rick Hoefling, president and chief executive officer. “Our people have worked incredibly hard, once again, to safely and efficiently bring a new hub online. CommutAir’s growth in the last nine months – doubling our geographic footprint and growing our active fleet by more than 60 percent – is as impressive as all of you who have made this opportunity a reality.”
In July 2020, CommutAir extended its Capacity Purchase Agreement with United and became its sole operator of Embraer 145 regional jets. CommutAir maintains the largest fleet of ERJ-145 aircraft in the world.
“For CommutAir, this growth means more opportunities for our people. We have an incredible team whose professionalism and dedication make growth like this possible,” said Joel Raymond, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “United has been clear about the importance of its mid-continent hubs like Denver and Houston. Our aircraft, the ERJ-145, plays a critical role in United’s route network, and we are proud to support their operation and connect people and smaller communities to the world.”
From Denver, CommutAir will operate United Express flights around the Mountain West, serving communities like Flagstaff, Arizona, and Durango, Colorado.
The airline has a number of vacancies available in Denver as well as other locations including Albany, Houston and North Olmsted. Find more details on the website.
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