United Airlines has announced the purchase of 270 Boeing and Airbus aircraft – the largest combined order in the airline’s history and the biggest by an individual carrier in the last decade.
The ‘United Next’ plan it says “will have a transformational effect on the customer experience and is expected to increase the total number of available seats per domestic departure by almost 30 percent.
United Airlines says that when combined with the current order book, United expects to introduce more than 500 new, narrow-body aircraft: 40 in 2022, 138 in 2023, and as many as 350 in 2024 and beyond.
United’s new aircraft order – 50 737 MAX 8s, 150 737 MAX 10s, and 70 A321neos – will come with a new signature interior that includes seat-back entertainment in every seat, larger overhead bins for every passenger’s carry-on bag, and the industry’s fastest available in-flight WiFi, as well as a bright look-and-feel with LED lighting.
The airline expects to fly the first 737 MAX 8 with the signature interior this summer and to begin flying the 737 MAX 10 and the Airbus A321neo in early 2023.
United Airlines also said that it intends to upgrade 100 percent of its mainline, narrow-body fleet to these standards by 2025, and when combined with the number of new aircraft joining the fleet, it means United will deliver its state-of-the-art inflight experience to tens of millions of customers at an unprecedented pace.
This order will also boost United’s mainline daily departures and available seats across the airline’s North American network, as well as the number of premium seats, both United FirstSM and Economy Plus®.
Specifically, says United Airlines it expects it will have on average 53 premium seats per North American departure by 2026, an increase of about 75 percent over 2019, and more than any competitor in North America.
United CEO Scott Kirby said, “our United Next vision will revolutionize the experience of flying as we accelerate our business to meet a resurgence in air travel.”
“By adding and upgrading this many aircraft so quickly with our new signature interiors, we’ll combine friendly, helpful service with the best experience in the sky, all across our premier global network. At the same time, this move underscores the critical role United plays in fueling the broader U.S. economy – we expect the addition of these new aircraft will have a significant economic impact on the communities we serve in terms of job creation, traveler spending, and commerce.”
Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said; “We are truly humbled by United Airlines’ confidence in the people of Boeing and the airplanes we design and build every day. Our strong partnership, dating back to United’s founding, has helped us grow and weather challenges through the decades.
“As we look forward to the recovery ahead, we are honored that United has once again chosen the 737 family’s performance, efficiency, and flexibility to power their growing network. The Boeing team is excited to be building hundreds of these new jets for United and delivering on a landmark agreement that solidifies our future together for the next decades.”
United expects to create approximately 25,000 unionized jobs at the airline as a result of adding these new aircraft and, based on a study from the Federal Aviation Administration, the airline expects to drive more than US$30 billion in traveler spending when flying United and contribute an estimated US$50 billion annually towards the U.S. economy by 2026.
The new 737 MAX and Airbus A321neo aircraft also means United will replace older, smaller mainline jets and at least 200 single-class regional jets with larger aircraft, which the airline expects will lead to significant sustainability benefits compared to older planes: an expected 11 percent overall improvement in fuel efficiency and an expected 17-20 percent lower carbon emission per seat compared to older planes.
The purchase increases United’s order book for the 737 MAX family to 380 airplanes, including 30 that have been delivered. As the launch customer for the 737-10, United placed its first order in 2017 by converting 100 737-9 orders to the larger 737-10 variant. Today’s agreement also includes the purchase of Boeing 737 MAX training simulator data packages to support United’s pilot training programs.
The largest model in the family, the 737-10 seats up to 230 passengers in a single-class configuration and can fly up to 3,300 miles.
