United Airlines starts DC/NYC shuttle service with Bombardier CRJ-550 jets

United Airlines has started a new hourly shuttle service between Washington's Reagan National Airport and New York/Newark Liberty International Airport. The airline announced the new service on Friday in a company press release. United will use Bombardier CRJ-550 regional jets on most flights with 50 seats available.

With this new shuttle service, United will now offer more travel opportunities between these two cities than any other airline in the world. Tickets for the 13 daily flights between New York/Newark and Washington, D.C. will be available for purchase beginning Jan. 18 and service starts on March 29.

United Airlines looks to increase service between New York and Shanghai

United Airlines submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday for authority to increase service between New York/Newark Liberty and Shanghai Pudong beginning in June 2020. If approved, United's second daily flight will create new opportunities for customers to conveniently connect to Shanghai from more than 90 U.S. and Canadian destinations served by United from New York/Newark. The effort is in response to “the demand for travel between each country's financial center, which has grown annually for the last several years," said Oscar Munoz, United's Chief Executive Officer.

This proposed additional flight provides enhanced time of day coverage for customers traveling between New York/Newark and Shanghai, with United offering both a morning and afternoon departure from both New York/Newark and Shanghai. An expanded schedule will further enhance United's service as the only U.S. carrier serving mainland China and Hong Kong from the New York City area and in the Northeastern United States.

United in China

United first began service to China in 1986 and has grown to operate more non-stop flights to more cities than any other U.S. carrier, with a total of more than 90 weekly flights from the U.S. to Greater China.

Nose gear collapses on Southwest Airlines flight upon landing

Southwest Airlines flight 345 landed at New York's LaGuardia at 5:40 p.m. EDT Monday evening from Nashville. The aircraft is a Boeing 737-700. Eyewitness reports indicate the aircraft's nose gear collapsed upon landing. There were 150 people on board including customers and crew.

“Initial reports indicate local responders are caring for five customers and three flight attendants who have reported injuries at this time,” Southwest said in a press statement. Southwest is cooperating with local authorities, and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified.

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United Airlines adds nonstop New York/St. Lucia service

United Airlines has launched weekly nonstop service to St. Lucia from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport. The flights, which began on Saturday, operate using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with 16 business seats, 48 economy plus seats and 90 economy seats.

United flight 1642 departs Newark Liberty on Saturdays at 8:55 a.m., arriving at the Hewanorra International Airport in St. Lucia at 1:48 p.m. The return flight, United 1643, departs St. Lucia on Saturdays at 2:38 p.m., arriving in Newark at 7:33 p.m. The service provides convenient connections to and from 22 cities in the United States, including Chicago, Boston and Washington, as well as several Canadian cities.

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,446 flights a day to more than 370 airports across six continents.

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