The WNBA’s new charter flight program for the 2024 season will be fully operational by early next week, a league spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
“As the league previously announced, we would be phasing in the program at the start of the season and can share that beginning May 21 all teams will be flying charter to games,” the spokesperson said, as reported by Alexa Philippou of ESPN. However, trips between Chicago and Indiana, and Connecticut and New York, will remain charter bus rides due to proximity.
Some teams began chartering flights during the opening week of the 2024 WNBA season after Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced May 7 that the league would move to a full chartering program. This new plan will cost approximately $25 million per year over the next two seasons. Before this season, WNBA teams flew commercial and could only charter flights in limited circumstances, such as during the playoffs, for back-to-back games requiring air travel and for the Commissioner’s Cup.
Decisions leading to WNBA charter move
The decision to expand charter flights marks a significant milestone in the WNBA's evolution, reflecting broader changes in the league. This new era has been bolstered by an influx of elite talent from the 2024 Draft and ongoing improvements in franchise operations.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart highlighted the league's travel efforts, praising the move to increase charter flight opportunities. In a post on X, formerly Twiter, on May 13, she acknowledged the progress while noting that there is still room for improvement.
“2 out of 5 WNBA teams traveling today are on WNBA charters – and that’s a win. It could be a bigger one if the W allowed teams who were not offered League charters to secure their own until a full 12 team solution is ready…Trip #1 of the season – Charter Bus,” Stewart wrote.
The WNBA’s decision to expand charter flights comes after years of advocacy by players for better travel arrangements, with additional urgency following incidents like Brittney Griner's harassment at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport last season. Players have voiced concerns over safety and the discomforts of commercial travel, pushing for a more comprehensive charter program.
League in ‘right position' financially to fund charters
Engelbert indicated that the league is now in the “right financial position” to support this expansion.
“No one wants (charter flights) more than I do for these players. We need to be in the right financial position,” Engelbert previously said. “Just a few years ago, we were surviving; now we're going from survive to thrive. We want to do it at the appropriate time.”
The WNBA’s strategic investment of $50 million over the next two years aims to enhance player safety and comfort. Nneka Ogwumike, president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, hailed the move as “transformational,” emphasizing the dual benefits of enhanced safety and better recovery conditions for athletes.
“Our league is growing, the demand for women's basketball is growing,” Ogwumike said. “Chartering flights not only is a safety measure, the biggest thing, and then obviously what it means to be able to play a game and go home and rest and recover and be the elite athletes that we try to be every single night when we step out onto this court. It's a great day for our league as a whole that we are able to get here and we're going to continue to grow and continue to build and continue to push for even better.”
The league’s commitment to improving travel conditions reflects the increasing attention to the WNBA, fueled by rising stars like No. 1 WNBA Draft pick Caitin Clark and significant media events. The popularity has driven the league to reconsider its travel arrangements, previously limited to providing charter flights only during the playoffs and back-to-back games. Engelbert’s announcement detailed the practical aspects of the charter flight program, which will begin as soon as logistical arrangements are finalized.
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