US regional airline CommutAir has started operations from its new hub in Denver (DEN), Colorado.
The United Express carrier will initially serve 13 destinations from the airport, flying to the likes of Albuquerque (ABQ) in New Mexico; Dickinson (DIK) in North Dakota; and Midland-Odessa (MAF) in Texas.
The DEN launch comes six months after the company opened its largest hub in Houston (IAH), which includes a 47,000 sq. ft. maintenance hangar and a 50,000 sq. ft. training center. CommutAir also has hubs at Newark (EWR) and Washington Dulles (IAD).
The airline’s expansion follows United Airlines’ decision in July 2020 to end its contract with ExpressJet and consolidate its Embraer ERJ-145 flying with CommutAir.
At the time, CommutAir had 37 aircraft operating from two hubs. Today the airline has 168 aircraft, with 60 in revenue service and serving four hubs. The company also has a maintenance base in Albany, New York, and plans to open an additional maintenance base soon.
“United has been clear about the importance of its mid-continent hubs like Denver and Houston,” CommutAir executive VP and COO Joel Raymond said.
“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.”
CommutAir said it has hired more than 200 pilots in the first quarter of 2021 and plans to recruit up to 400 additional new pilots by the end of the year.
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