United's Capital Success

Source: TheStreet.com
Author: Ted Reed

Nothing at Dulles International Airport has come easy for United Airlines.

United opened its Dulles hub in 1986. At the time, the airport already had two hub carriers. United's growth there was not rapid. Its first international flight, to Frankfurt, did not take off until 1990. To this day, the talk continues that Dulles is too remote to draw many passengers away from Washington Reagan National or from Baltimore.

Nevertheless, United didn't flinch in 2002, when the experts -- and some of its creditors -- recommended closing the Dulles hub. In fact, it endured a nasty battle at the airport with Independence Air, which turned against its onetime partner to launch competing flights in 2004. Quietly, United has poured resources into Dulles, building a significant hub that will have 320 daily departures by the end of November.

United has added 84 Dulles departures in the past 12 months, with 22 more coming by November. Included are nonstop flights to Kuwait and Tokyo, both scheduled to begin in October. United moved the Tokyo flight from New York Kennedy, moved South American flights from Miami and is seeking a Dulles-Beijing route.

By November, the Dulles hub will serve 75 domestic destinations, about two-thirds of them east of the Mississippi, and 22 international destinations, including eight in Europe and six in the Caribbean.