United to shift 'Dreamliner' hub out of Houston

A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner approaches its gate at Bush Intercontinental Airport in January 2016. A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner approaches its gate at Bush Intercontinental Airport in January 2016. Photo: Bill Montgomery Photo: Bill Montgomery Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close United to shift 'Dreamliner' hub out of Houston 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

United Airlines plans close its Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and transfer those planes to Washington, D.C., later this year.

The shift, scheduled to take effect at the end of October, will not affect the Chicago-based airline's international flights out of Houston, and none of the company's Houston-based pilots will lose their jobs.

"We think these changes will help us to best utilize our resources," said United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy.

The Boeing 787 models, among the largest in United's fleet, seat as many as 252 passengers. They're commonly used for international flights.

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When the changes take effect, United plans to place Boeing 777s on its route from Houston to Frankfurt, German, and Boeing 767s on its route from Houston to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, McCarthy said.

"Houston remains a very important hub for us," she said.

The company plans to use the 787s now operating out of Houston for flights from Dulles International Airport to Beijing, London, Paris and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

United operated 30 787 models last year, according to securities filings. It expects to add three more to its fleet this year.

Scroll through the above gallery to see some of the planes spotted flying above Houston this year