United Airlines has announced a series of changes to its services in the Northeast US. Later this year, the carrier will commence flights between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). However, the new route will come at the expense of the airline’s existing route to Philadelphia from its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), which will come to an end on June 26th.

From the following day, service between IAD and PHL will be flown three times daily, with flights operated by Republic Airways under the United Express brand. The airline’s Embraer E175s will be deployed on the route, each seating a total of 76 passengers in a two-class configuration – 12 in first class and 60 in economy class. In total, United Airlines will offer more than 13,000 seats per month in peak summer, according to data from Cirium.

The new service will make United Airlines the only carrier to fly the route between IAD and PHL. However, American Airlines already connects the two cities, flying between its hub at Philadelphia and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) four times per day. The oneworld member will offer more than 9,000 seats per month on that route in July and August.

Newark vs Washington Dulles

United Airlines’ Newark Liberty International Airport hub offers passengers from regional airports far more international connections than its Washington Dulles counterpart. This includes an ever-growing number of transatlantic routes, such as to Faro (FAO) in Portugal, which will commence on May 24th.