United Airlines has initiated a major reboot of both its widebody and narrowbody fleets, placing orders on Tuesday for up to 300 new Boeing aircraft. The carrier placed firm orders for 100 of the 787 Dreamliner, with options for 100 more, and also announced the purchase of 100 737 Max aircraft (including 56 new orders and confirmation of 44 options).
Under the agreement with Boeing, United will start taking delivery of the 787s between 2024 and 2026. It will be able to choose a mix of the -8, -9, and -10 models to serve various long-haul routes, in what United says is the largest widebody aircraft order ever placed by a U.S. carrier.
As part of the United Next 2026 fleet capacity plan, the airline will take the first batch of 44 737 Max twinjets between 2024 and 2026, with an additional 56 units to follow in 2027 and 2028. The company says it expects to take delivery of some 700 new airliners by the end of 2032, with an average of more than two each week in 2023 rising to three each week in 2024.
The 787 Dreamliners will replace older 767 and 777 widebodies, with the former due to be completely removed from United’s fleet by 2030. Depending on the final choice of specific 787 and 737 Max models, the deal with Boeing is likely to be valued at least $65 billion, based on current list prices.
United also announced will make a further investment in upgrading cabin interiors across its fleet. By the end of the summer of 2023, the remaining 10 percent of its international widebody jets that don’t yet have the United Polaris business class seat and Premium Plus economy seats will get these as part of a refit. United will also retrofit all of its mainline, narrowbodies with this signature interior, with all remaining aircraft to be transformed by the end of 2025.
United’s executive vice president and CFO Gerry Laderman predicted that the carrier will exercise the additional options for 787s. He said that the aircraft will drive down fuel burn for the fleet and deliver other improvements in cost efficiency, while also improving customer experience and giving the carrier greater flexibility to expand its route network.
Over the past two years, United has added 13 new international destinations, 40 new international routes, and additional frequencies to 10 existing routes around the world. Each of its U.S. hubs now has double-digit numbers of international destinations, including Newark Liberty International Airport, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Chicago O’Hare, Washington Dulles, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver.