Examined: United Airlines' Boeing 767-400ER routes from Washington Dulles this december

While United is one of the world's largest airlines, there are also certain areas of its operations where it can be highlighted for much more niche reasons.

Among the most notable of these is the fact that it is one of just two remaining commercial operators of the Boeing 767-400ER, along with fellow 'big three' US carrier Delta Air Lines. According to Boeing, just 38 examples of the 767-400ER were built.

Of these, present fleet data from ch-aviation shows that 16 are currently registered with United Airlines. Next month, the Chicago-headquartered US legacy carrier and Star Alliance founding member is set to operate just over 30% of its flights with the type to and from its hub at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

But where will it fly? Let's take a closer look at the routes it is set to serve.

In order to understand the importance of Washington as a factor in United's 767-400ER operations, we must first establish the complete picture when it comes to the type.

According to current scheduling data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, United has scheduled 733 flights with the 767-400ER in December 2024, with these offering 169,323 seats and 651,048,090 available seat miles (ASMs).

Of these flights, a total of 233 (30.43% of the monthly sum) will either depart from or arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport, offering 51,513 seats and 221,683,077 available seat miles.

Interestingly, the average number of ASMs for United's 767-400ER flights to and from Washington (994,095 per flight) is slightly higher than the mean figure for its overall 767-400ER operations (888,197 per flight).

Despite the relatively low number of flights set to be operated by United's 767-400ERs to and from Washington next month, the range of routes served by the type is fairly diverse.

For instance, while the stretched-fuselage widebody is primarily associated with long-haul international usage, it will operate one flight each way on the 213-mile (342.8 km) domestic hop to Newark (EWR) this December.

At the other end of the distance spectrum, United Airlines' longest route with the Boeing 767-400ER next month will also be domestic, albeit not confined by the frontiers of the US mainland. Indeed, December 2024 will see 15 flights each way with the type on the 4,817-mile (7,752.2 km) route between Dulles and Honolulu International Airport (HNL) in Hawaii. These will operate on the following dates:

Looking at the data, all factors suggest that United is expecting a busy holiday season on its Washington-Honolulu route, as evidenced by its switch from weekly flights with the type for the first half of the month to daily from the 19th onwards.

Using December 14th as an example, the outbound flight (UA345) has a block time of 11 hours, while the return (UA344) comes in at nine hours and 13 minutes.

United Airlines' second-longest route to and from Washington Dulles with the 767-400ER next month is unique in that it will be the carrier's only South American route with the type this December.

The airline plans to operate the aircraft on a daily basis from the US capital city to São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in Brazil, with 31 rotations planned.

This route clocks in at 4,736 miles (7,621.9 km) in length and is United's top 767-400ER route from Washington by ASMs, with a total of 33,914,496 in each direction this December. The 10-hour flights operate overnight in both directions, with the outbound leg leaving Dulles at 22:30 and landing at 10:20 the next morning. Returning home, the flight leaves São Paulo at 22:25 and lands at 06:35.

United Airlines' remaining Boeing 767-400ER flights to and from Washington next month will all serve European destinations. Given Dulles' convenient East Coast location and the mid-size capacity of the 767-400ER, the aircraft is well-suited to transatlantic routes that don't require the longer-range capabilities of the 787 or the high capacity of the 777 but are busier than those served by the 757.

All in all, European flights account for more than half of United's 767-400ER traffic in December 2024, with 129 scheduled at the time of writing. These will offer 29,799 seats and 120,373,869 ASMs, with the least frequently-served destination being Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) in Spain.

United will operate just two 767-400ER flights to the Spanish capital next month, and three coming back.

Meanwhile, the airline's other two non-stop European connections with the 767-400ER will be served on a daily basis in 2024. The furthest afield of these is Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in Italy, which clocks in at 4,505 miles (7,250.1 km) in length.

United Airlines currently has a monopoly on this route, as ITA Airways ' flights ceased in October and won't resume until March.

The shortest of United's European hops with the 767-400ER next month will serve Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) in Lisbon, Portugal, which is located some 3,592 miles (5,780.8 km) from Washington Dulles.

The American carrier will face direct competition from flag carrier TAP Air Portugal on the route next month, with the airline operating flights on a daily basis using the smaller Airbus A321LR narrowbody.