Rep. Kelly disappointed over United Airlines’ decision to suspend service at Erie International

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U.S. Rep Mike Kelly (R-PA) said he is disappointed at United Airlines’ decision to suspend service to Erie International Airport in Erie, Pa.

On March 23, United announced it would end service to the airport after a “careful analysis of operations and market demand.” United currently has four daily flights between Erie and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the only remaining United flight out of Erie International. The airline’s announcement leaves the airport with only one airline flying out of the airport, American Airlines, which operates four flights daily between Erie and Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I am disappointed to hear United Airlines is planning to suspend its service at Erie International Airport,” Kelly said. “I have been in touch with airport officials and will continue to work with them to make Erie a vital and vibrant market for airlines to do business. Although I understand this is a business decision, the federal government has assisted the airlines with billions of dollars in support since the pandemic to restore service and to help Americans resume air travel. It’s a shame to see yet another airline leave Erie International Airport, which supports not only western Pennsylvania but the tri-state region.”

Kelly said he encouraged the airline to restore its service to Erie. At the same time, he urged American to continue its service to the airport.

United launched the Erie to Chicago flight service in June 2014 after grounding its Erie to Cleveland route. United also offered daily flights between Erie and Washington, D.C., which started in December 2020 but ended in March 2022.

United said it made the “strategic but difficult decision to suspend its service at Erie International, as well as at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Ill., based on business objectives.

“After careful analysis of operations and market demand, United Airlines has determined that it is necessary to adjust its route network to better align with its business objectives and improve its overall efficiency. These decisions are not made lightly, and we understand their impact on the teams in those locations and the United Ground Express community as a whole,” United said in the announcement.

The airline’s departure from Erie will be the second by a major airline in three years. Delta Air Line suspended service at the airport in July 2020.