United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare) has further increased its committed order books with both Airbus and Boeing, firming the purchase rights and options for sixty A321-200neo and fifty B787-9s. It also secured purchase rights for a further forty A321neo and fifty B787-9s.
Deliveries of both types covered by the new order are due to begin in 2028. The B787-9s will be inducted gradually through 2031, while all sixty A321neo should be in service with the carrier by 2030.
"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," Chief Executive Scott Kirby said.
The airline said that the order would support its strategy of upgauging capacity. In 2019, United proffered an average of 104 seats per departure. This number is due to increase to 145 by 2027.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that United Airlines does not currently operate any A320neo Family aircraft, although it had an existing order for seventy A321-200NX and fifty A321-200NY(XLR)s. The carrier's previous-generation narrowbody fleet comprises eighty-one A319-100s, ninety-seven A320-200s, forty B737-700s, 141 B737-800s, twelve B737-900s, 136 B737-900ERs, forty B757-200s, and twenty-one B757-300s. It also operates sixty-three B737-8s and seventy-four B737-9s, and has a further seventy-two B737-8s, ten B737-9s, and 294 B737-10s on firm order from Boeing.
In terms of the widebody fleet, United Airlines already operates twelve B787-8s, thirty-eight B787-9s, and twenty-one B787-10s. Before the new order, it had 100 more -9s on firm order. The airline did not offer details but said that the new commitment would support the simplification of its widebody fleet, which currently also includes thirty-seven B767-300ERs, sixteen B767-400ERs, nineteen B777-200s, fifty-five B777-200ERs, and twenty-two B777-300(ER)s. Besides the B787s, United has a firm order for forty-five A350-900s.
