United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare) is considering outsourcing jobs at 28 non-hub airports it serves in the United States as it pushes to cut rising labour-associated costs.

Reuters newswire says that as many as 2'000 employees, including baggage handlers and gate and customer service agents at airports ranging from Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson to Anchorage Ted Stevens, could be affected by the move. It is still unclear how much the carrier aims to make in savings through the undertaking.

In 2013, United Continental Holdings unveiled a two-phase cost cutting scheme aimed at cutting USD2 billion in annual costs while increasing yearly ancillary revenue by USD700 million by 2017.