Aircraft manufacturers have advised United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare) to expect delays in aircraft deliveries this year and next, according to an SEC update recently made by the carrier.
In an April 20 filing, United Airlines says 18 aircraft due from Airbus are delayed and over 100 aircraft due from Boeing will be late. Airbus has told the airline that eight A321-200neo due this year will now deliver in 2024 and ten A321-200Ns due next year will now arrive in 2025. United Airlines has a firm commitment for seventy A321-200Ns and fifty A321-200NY(XLR)s.
Production delays besetting Boeing's B737 MAX program are also impacting United Airlines. Boeing has told the carrier that thirty seven B737 MAX due this year will now come in 2024 and thirty due next year will now deliver in 2025. In its filing, United also says that they estimate an additional eleven B737 MAX scheduled for delivery in 2023 will deliver in 2024, and thirty scheduled for delivery in 2024 will now arrive in 2025.
"Furthermore, Boeing recently notified United that due to a manufacturing process issue relating to certain B737 MAX fuselages, six B737-8 aircraft scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2023, will be delayed," reads the filing. "Boeing may inform United that additional B737-8 aircraft scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2023 may be delayed and/or that certain B737 MAX aircraft currently expected to be delivered in 2023 may deliver in 2024." In total, United Airlines has four hundred and twelve B737 MAX aircraft on order.
However, United Airlines CFO Gerry Laderman told an analyst's briefing last week that he didn't think the delays would have a significant impact on the airline. "Boeing has gotten back on track on delivering aircraft," he said. "The issues that they had over the prior few years, they have really managed well, and the impact from this for the full year will be minor."
