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McClellan–Palomar Airport (CLD) in Carlsbad, California, will get United Airlines service via regional flights by United Express starting in March 2026. It will be the second regional air carrier to renew service to CLD after American Eagle did so last year. The airline will relaunch with twice-daily flights from its hubs in Denver (DEN) and San Francisco (SFO). The Embraer E175 will fly routes that are designed to help flyers make connections to larger hubs for longer legs across the country. Heading Back To Carlsbad The airfield at Carlsbad has also been upgraded since the last United Express flights were scheduled in 2015. A whole new terminal was built and a host of improvements have been made. The small field’s reputation was once that of a “glorified bus stop,” according to Live and Let’s Fly. That is very different now. The new terminal broke ground in 2007 and opened for business in 2009 with investment from American Airlines that accounted for about 90% of the total cost, according to the San Diego Tribune. American Eagle resumed service in 2024 with flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX). San Diego Aerospace museum also has restoration operations at the field and San Diego County Sheriff hosts its ASTREA, law enforcement aviation, section at the airport. Some residents in the area opposed the renewed commercial service when AA renewed its ease earlier this year. They argued the field loses money, but the fact is that small fields like CLD are crucial to the air network as a whole for flyers in underserved communities and young pilots seeking jobs early in their career. Carlsbad is helping to ensure a stable, safe, reliable, and capable nationwide air travel infrastructure which is an important part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) goals to improve the US network. 9 News reported these comments on the renewed service from Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances at United: “With the addition of Carlsbad, United now serves more cities in California than any other airline… Airports like Carlsbad play a vital role in connecting communities and nurturing United’s pilots of tomorrow…” New And Improved Service SkyWest retired its turboprop Embraer 120 Brasilias in 2015 which led to the cancellation of service to Carlsbad. Now, the E175 is steadily taking over numerous legacy routes that were flown by turboprops in the past and bringing an elevated experience to regional flying. For starters, the E175 is configured in 2-2 seating arrangement, which means no middle seats. The seats and cabin are more spacious than legacy regional planes, aiming to feel like the same space as Boeing 737 or Airbus A320. The E170 and E175 are the newest jets in the United Express fleet, according to Planespotters.net data. The goal is to make flyers more comfortable for the whole journey and not have the brief connecting ride on the smaller plane discourage customers from booking. Taking away the hesitation that some travelers feel about purchasing tickets with regional jet legs due to noise, cramped cabin space, or lower ride comfort is a win for United and for flyers. The E175 Connecting America The E175 has been a highly successful hit on the “puddle jumper” routes that bring air service from major hubs to smaller community airfields. The plane is bigger but also quieter, the quietest in its class. The plane has more modern amenities like charging ports and Wi-Fi for streaming entertainment for the 76 to 88 passengers it can carry at a time. The E175 is more fuel efficient and lower maintenance than many of its competitors, and when compared to turboprops it can fly longer-range and higher speeds. That makes operators happy because the books stay in the black, but it also means less expensive air fare for customers and more destinations to choose from. The E175 is in high demand with US carriers and poised to bring a new standard of service to the regional flying market. So if you find yourself considering a flight to or from Carlsbad, rest assured that the ride will be smooth and comfortable from take off to touchdown.
