United Airlines Pulls the Plug on Rochester Flights
If you're looking to catch a connecting flight out of Rochester's RST airport, you'll now have one less choice, as United Airlines just pulled the plug on its connecting flights to Chicago.
Usually, when we get news that an airline is adding or ending flights to and from Minnesota, the routes involve the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) near Bloomington. It is, after all, the largest airport in the entire state.
But this news involves a different airport: The airport right here in Minnesota's third-largest city-- and largest city outside the Twin Cities metro-- Rochester International Airport (RST). And, unfortunately, it's not good news this time around.
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United Airlines Cuts Rochester to Chicago Flights
According to industry site AeroXplorer, United Airlines says it is ending 10 regional flights from airports across the country to its hub at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. And one of those locations affected is here in Minnesota's Med City.
I wrote a story about those flights when they were first announced in late October last year. The plan then was that United would add three daily, year-round flights from RST to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) on its super-premium CRJ-550 jet. Those flights were originally scheduled to start on April 30th, 2026.
Why United Airlines Is Cutting Flights From Rochester
However, the plan hit a snag last spring when United announced it was delaying those flights until June 1st, the same date RST hosted a massive parking-lot party featuring Minnesota native Cori Kennedy. (I wrote a story about that party HERE.) But in late May, United said it was delaying them again until October 30th. And now they finally just cut them altogether.
The reason they're going away doesn't have anything to do with RST, though. AeroXplorer notes that the regional airline industry is under pressure from pilot shortages, rising costs, and limited capacity, and that smaller routes are often the first cut.
AeroXplorer goes on to say that United’s 50-seat regional jets are particularly expensive to operate. Plus, Chicago O’Hare is dealing with its own capacity and construction issues. Add in FAA controller shortages, and it often means fewer flights and more delays for smaller airports like Rochester.
Other United Airlines Routes Cut From Chicago O'Hare
Besides Rochester's RST, other locations impacted by these cuts include Erie (ERI), Pennsylvania; Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA); Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), Tennessee; Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport (MQT), Michigan; Lansing (LAN), Michigan; Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO), Michigan; Champaign–Urbana Airport (CMI), Illinois; La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE), Wisconsin; and Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI), Illinois.
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