Plan on flying to India or Hong Kong any time soon?
Well, if you're flying with United Airlines (UAL) -), you may have to wait a little while.
The Chicago-based airline has delayed the resumptions of its flights from Newark to Hong Kong and Mumbai and San Francisco to Delhi through March 28, 2024, according to Simple Flying, which cited a report by aviation analytics firm Cirium.
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The data indicated that United has delayed relaunching its services from Newark Liberty International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.
United's route from San Francisco International Airport to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has also been delayed.
United saw significant international growth as the world emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic and announced massive expansions to Asia, the South Pacific, and even the Atlantic.
Concerns about Russian airspace
The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but United said in a statement to Simple Flying that "we can confirm we have extended the suspension of these routes through March 28, 2024."
While United did not name a reason for the delay, airline industry officials have noted challenges stemming from the closure of Russian airspace.
Willie Walsh, head of the International Air Transport Association IATA, said in July that US and European airlines would not increase flights while being forced to make detours around Russia, the South China Post reported.
Finnair CEO Topi Manner also noted that Chinese carriers that could use Russian airspace would enjoy significant cost advantage and added that it’s "not a level playing field."
All three of United's routes take a path that skirts the polar region and would ideally cross over Russian airspace well the most efficient great circle connection.
The great circle path is the shortest path between two far locations, which is why pilots fly polar routes to save time and distance.
United may lack the necessary equipment with the range required to take an alternative route, or the airline may be put off by the higher cost of operation due to the increased fuel consumption.
United, Southwest (LUV) -), and Alaska Airlines (ALK) -) have recently indicated that rising crude oil prices could affect their bottom line.
The average price per barrel on Sept. 22 globally was $131, according to IATA data, up by almost $10 compared with the month prior.
Big airplane order
Airfares may start to climb as a result of rising fuel prices.
United last flew from Newark to Hong Kong in February 2020, ending its operations because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flights from Newark to Mumbai ran through March 2020 before being cut for four months and resuming in August. The flights ceased in March 2022.
Despite delaying the resumption of the three routes, United does have service to Hong Kong and Delhi from other hubs between now and March.
Separately, United is set to announce an order for 50 widebody 787 Dreamliners from Boeing BA and 60 A321 narrowbody jets from Airbus, Reuters reported, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.
In December, United Airlines announced an order for 100 Boeing (BA) -) 787 Dreamliners and 100 737 MAXs to cope with demand as pandemic restrictions eased and to replace older, less-efficient aircraft.
Demand has rebounded for long distance widebody jets to meet international travel demand.
Last month, Air Canada purchased 18 Dreamliners and Air France-KLM ordered 50 Airbus A350s. Since the pandemic, there has also been a rise in demand for narrowbody jets, especially larger models such as the A321, which has dominated the single-aisle market.
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