United Airlines orders 110 more aircraft from Boeing and Airbus
United Airlines announced Tuesday a new order for 110 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, building on the initial success of United Next and adding additional flexibility to its long-term fleet.
The airline converted previous options and purchase rights into firm orders for 50 Boeing 787-9s for delivery between 2028 and 2031, as well as 60 Airbus A321neo for delivery between 2028 and 2030. The airline also secured new options for up to 50 more Boeing 787s and purchase rights for another 40 A321neo aircraft by the end of the decade.
“We’re building a bright future at United and this order takes our already successful United Next plan into the next decade and beyond,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “Our planning and focus on the long term have helped us surge past other airlines that stood still. I’m convinced our strategy is the right one as we continue to add new, larger aircraft to take full advantage of our growing flying opportunities both internationally and domestically.”
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A key component of the United Next plan is growth in gauge, essentially flying larger planes with more available seats on the same route. Given that United currently operates out of the largest markets in the country – Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/NYC, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. – upgauging also boosts overall connectivity domestically and internationally.
The airline now has 180 A321neo and more than 370 737 MAXs on firm order through 2030, a combination that will further raise the average number of seats per departure on these aircraft, with even lower expected costs per seat.
With 150 firm orders, United has the largest Dreamliner backlog ever recorded and is poised to become the largest 787 operator in the world.
United expects to take delivery of some 800 new aircraft between 2023 and the end of 2032.
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