It seems United Airlines is making a major move in its fleet renewal, with the airline choosing to order a lot of aircraft.
Let us dive in, as there’s a lot to unpack.
A hint of what’s been ordered – Image, The Boeing Company.
United Airlines will be adding 100 Boeing 787 Dreamliners to its fleet, with the option to purchase 100 more. The deal is the largest 787 Dreamliner order in Boeing’s history.
United is also purchasing 100 737 MAX jets, exercising 44 existing options and placing 56 new orders.
The airline’s current orders for Boeing jets have surpassed 530, including more than 430 737 MAX units.
United expects to take delivery of the new widebody planes between 2024 and 2032 and can choose among the 787-8, 9 or 10 models, providing flexibility to support a wide range of routes and operations.
Approximately 100 planes of the new widebody order are expected to replace older Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 aircraft, with all 767 aircraft removed from the United fleet by 2030.
Meanwhile, the additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will be set for delivery between 2027 and 2028. The airline now expects to take delivery of about 700 new narrow and widebody aircraft by the end of 2032, including an average of more than two every week in 2023 and more than three every week in 2024.
In terms of passenger experience, the Polaris seat by Safran will continue its rollout, with the remaining aircraft will be completed by the summer of 2023. United also will retrofit 100% of its mainline, narrow-body planes with its signature interior – about 100 aircraft are scheduled to be completed in 2023 with the remaining expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
In Quotes
United CEO Scott Kirby said:
“United emerged from the pandemic as the world’s leading global airline and the flag carrier of the United States,”
“This order further solidifies our lead and creates new opportunities for our customers, employees and shareholders by accelerating our plan to connect more people to more places around the globe and deliver the best experience in the sky.”
Gerry Laderman, United’s EVP and Chief Financial Officer adds:
“This order solves for our current widebody replacement needs in a more fuel-efficient and cost-efficient way, while also giving our customers a best-in-class experience,”
aid “And if the future of long-haul flying is as bright as we think it will be, United is able to capitalize on those opportunities by exercising these new widebody options – I look forward to the incremental margin and earnings these aircraft will generate.”
Andrew Nocella, United’s EVP and Chief Commercial Officer comments:
“Our widebody fleet will be re-energized by these new 787 deliveries and further strengthen what we do best: connect people and unite the world with modern, customer friendly and fuel-efficient aircraft,”
“United is uniquely positioned to capture international travel demand thanks to our global network, fleet size and gateway hubs. This combination represents a significant advantage for our business for years to come and another reason for business and leisure customers to choose United.”
Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes concludes:
“With this investment in its future fleet, the 737 MAX and 787 will help United accelerate its fleet modernization and global growth strategy,”
“The Boeing team is honored by United’s trust in our family of airplanes to connect people and transport cargo around the world for decades to come.”
Who says the days of big aircraft orders are over?
United Airlines has proved that providing there’s a big enough incentive, the big orders are still out there to be fulfilled. With this order, the airline can pick and choose what aircraft it needs as it chooses to replace and expand the fleet.
Remember, the 787 was initially designed as a replacement for the 767, with the larger variants targeting the 777. With this move, United has put its legacy fleet on notice. That means at least the entire 767 fleet the airline operates (covering a total of 53 aircraft, made up of the 767-300ER and 767-400ER) will go, along with the first wave of the Boeing 777 fleet (probably the older 777-200 and some of the 777-200ER.
With this order, it will cover a variety of routes that are operated by the older aircraft type – as well as the chance to expand or conduct further replacements with the options the airline hold.
The icing on the cake is the order for an additional Boeing 737 MAX to expand and renew its fleet. Expect older aircraft to find new homes when they start rolling off the production line.
With a long delivery window, it should be easy for United Airlines to plan a deployment strategy and right-sizing their operation.
And as for the days of mega orders? They never left. They just hibernated for a while.
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