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United Airlines is making two significant changes to its network.

Antonio B. in Guam. Von Pet International Airport (GUM) from its hub in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) kicks off with an exciting new international flight starting April 2, as first seen in Cerium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson. .

United will operate its new 1,729-mile route from Guam to Taipei using Boeing 737-800s. Flights will depart Guam at 7:00 a.m. and land in Taipei at 9:25 a.m., with return service departing at 10:30 a.m. and landing at 4:20 p.m.

United will operate this flight twice a week.

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Interestingly, this route technically marks the restart of service for United. That’s because Continental Micronesia flew the service until October 2005, nearly five years before it merged with United Continental.

These days, China Airlines is the only carrier that operates the Guam-to-Taipei route, so United will have a chance to capture the market, especially given its strong presence in Guam since the days of Continental Micronesia.

In addition to the new Guam service, United also flies from San Francisco to Taipei.

“The launch of the new Taipei-Guam service underscores United’s commitment to Guam and the region by opening new routes that offer travelers more ways to enjoy Guam and the Micronesia region. The new market opening will support the island’s tourism recovery efforts and plans. Its inbound markets Diversifying Guam’s tourists will enjoy Taiwan’s exciting and unique cultural, culinary, natural and historical experiences,” said Sam Shinohara, United’s managing director of airport operations for the Asia-Pacific region.

It will be interesting to see how the new routes fare, especially as United has recently invested in its Asia-Pacific network with new routes such as Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Tokyo to Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

While the airline is making a big move to Guam, United is cutting another domestic city in the US

This time, the carrier is dropping service to Lewiston, Idaho, effective February 1.

Previously, United flew to Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport (LWS) from its hub in Denver. The route started in October 2021 and will now be cut after just three years.

Once United leaves Lewiston, Delta will monopolize service to the city with nonstops to Salt Lake City and Seattle.

United originally began service to Lewiston thanks to funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), supplemented by subsidies from the city government, according to local Big country news.

This subsidy has since expired, and airport officials have not been able to secure further funding to continue the route.

“We thank United Airlines, Nez Perce County and the City of Lewiston for taking this route during challenging economic times in the aviation industry,” Lewiston Airport Director Mike Isaacs said in a statement.

A United spokesperson shared in a short statement that “United will continue to serve Idaho with service to Boise (BOI), Idaho Falls (IDA) and Sun Valley (SUN). We are working with affected customers to help make alternative travel arrangements. “

United has cut flights to 41 US cities since April 2020, according to data from aviation consulting firm Alevon Pacific.

Along with most of the cuts, airlines cited pilot shortages and low demand as the primary reasons for pulling out of so many markets. Nowadays, the industry has largely stagnated, and although some small markets (such as Butte, Montana, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin) are coming back, others, such as Lewiston, may not.

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