Summary
- United Airlines began services between Chicago and Milan a month earlier, operating flights with the Boeing 787-8.
- The first flight on the route departed on April 1, 2024.
- The upcoming summer season will have the airline’s largest-ever transatlantic schedule.
United Airlines has returned its seasonal services between Chicago and Milan earlier than initially planned, adding another destination to its transatlantic network in 2024. According to the carrier, it will serve 38 transatlantic destinations during the upcoming summer season.
Extensive network to Italy
The carrier began flying between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) on April 1, 2024, with flight UA416 departing ORD at 1:16. The flight was operated by a Boeing 787-8, registered as N20904.
According to the airline, the earlier beginning of flights between ORD and MXP builds on United Airlines’ existing year-round daily services from MXP to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), as well as between Rome Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) and EWR.
Photo: BriYYZ | Shutterstock
The carrier also offers seasonal flights from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) and Naples Airport (NAP) to EWR and from FCO to ORD, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). In total, United Airlines will have up to 11 daily non-stop services between the United States and Italy.
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United will use its Boeing 777-200ERs and 767-400ERs for the route.
Largest-ever transatlantic schedule
Walter Cianciusi, the Country Sales Manager of Italy at United Airlines, stated that the airline was happy to extend its seasonal service between Chicago and Milan for the upcoming summer season, allowing customers to book another Italian destination for their holidays.
“For summer 2024, United will operate its largest-ever transatlantic summer schedule in its history, offering even greater travel choice and the possibility to connect seamlessly via our U.S. hubs to onward destinations across the Americas.”
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
Meanwhile, Andrea Tucci, the Vice President of Aviation Business Development at SEA Milan Airports, which also manages Milan Linate Airport (LIN), noted that United Airlines’ decision to serve MXP from two gateways in the US aligns with the company’s strategy.
“The current extension of seasonality reflects the market’s enthusiastic response in Milan to the increased capacity to Chicago, resulting in a remarkable 70 percent growth in passenger volumes compared to the same season pre-pandemic season.”
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Expanding frontiers over the Atlantic Ocean
Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium showed that compared between the two summer seasons in 2023 and 2024, United Airlines has added a substantial number of additional flights, seats, and available seat kilometers (ASK).
The data, comparing periods between April 1, 2023, and October 31, 2023, and April 1, 2024, and October 31, 2023, showed that United Airlines has scheduled an additional 929 one-way flights between the US and Europe, amounting to 123,196 additional seats and 1.1 billion ASKs throughout the eight-month period. To note, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 2024 summer season lasts between March 31 and October 27.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
United Airlines added the most flights to FCO, Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN), and Brussels Airport (BRU), with 325, 241, and 208 additional flights, respectively. In cooperation with the Lufthansa Group, whose subsidiary Brussels Airlines is based at BRU, the two carriers want to make BRU a global hub for travel into Africa.
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