Between 2024 and 2032, United Airlines is expected to take delivery of the new wide-body planes.
As part of the purchasing agreement, the airline can choose among the 787-8, 9, or 10 models, providing flexibility to support a wide range of routes.
United also exercised options to purchase 44 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for delivery between 2024 and 2026 – consistent with the United Next 2026 capacity plan – and ordered 56 more MAX aircraft for delivery between 2027 and 2028.
In view of its investment plans, the airline is now expected to take delivery of about 700 new narrow and wide-body 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.
It was gathered that the new planes of the new wide-body order are expected to replace older Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 aircraft, with all 767 aircraft removed from the United fleet by 2030, resulting in up to an expected 25% decrease in carbon emissions per seat for the new planes compared to the older planes they are expected to replace.
Speaking on the planned purchases, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of United Airlines, Scott Kirby stated: “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.”
Echoing Kirby’s words, the Chief Financial Officer, United Airlines, Gerry Laderman, explained that “this order solves for our current wide-body replacement needs in a more fuel-efficient and cost-efficient way, while also giving our customers a best-in-class experience.
“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 wide-body options – I look forward to the incremental margin and earnings these aircraft will generate.”
