United Airlines is set to significantly expand its fleet, announcing the acquisition of 50 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and 60 Airbus A321neo aircraft.
Andrew Nocella, United's Chief Commercial Officer, highlighted on Tuesday that this move underscores the airline's commitment to global growth. He expressed the company's optimism about the long-term prospects of international travel.
The recent order for 50 Dreamliners stems from the conversion of half of the purchase options that United secured last year. This was when the airline confirmed an order for 100 787s and obtained 100 purchase options. The anticipated delivery for these additional Dreamliners is between 2028 and 2031. This supplements the 71 787s currently in United's possession and the 100 previously ordered.
By around 2030, United envisions the 787s playing a pivotal role in expanding its long-range wide body fleet and phasing out the older Boeing 767 wide bodies.
While United has also ordered 45 Airbus A350 wide bodies for post-2024 delivery, Nocella refrained from commenting on the airline's plans for these aircraft. However, he emphasized the Dreamliner as the cornerstone of United's widebody strategy. A subsequent press statement from United highlighted that the new 787-9s would streamline its international fleet, benefiting both customers and employees while also yielding cost savings.
Furthermore, United has secured an additional 50 purchase options for Dreamliner aircraft for the decade's end, effectively replacing the 50 options now converted into confirmed orders.
The airline anticipates the delivery of the newly ordered 60 Airbus A321neos between 2028 and 2030. These will complement the 70 A321neos already on order, with the first expected to join the fleet shortly.
The A321neo will integrate seamlessly with United's current narrowbody fleet, which includes Airbus A320-series and Boeing 737-series aircraft. This acquisition aligns with United's strategy to gradually retire its Boeing 757 large narrow bodies in the upcoming years. Additionally, United has placed orders for over 370 Boeing 737 Max aircraft.
Nocella elaborated on the decision to invest in the A321neo, Airbus' largest A320neo-series variant. This move aims to increase the average size of United's domestic aircraft, essential for expanding capacity at its Newark hub and other airports with gate and runway constraints.
United has also ordered 50 Airbus A321XLR planes, designed to connect secondary cities on international routes. Moreover, the airline confirmed that it has secured purchase rights for an additional 40 A321neos. Unlike options, these purchase rights fix the price but do not specify a delivery timeframe.
