United Airlines is claiming the largest widebody aircraft order by a US carrier in commercial aviation history.
The airline has placed a firm order for 100 Boeing 787 Dreamliners with options to purchase 100 more. The value was not disclosed.
United expects to take delivery of the new twinjets between 2024 and 2032 and can choose among the 787-8, 9 or 10 series, 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 and ordered 56 more for delivery between 2027 and 2028.
The airline now expects to take delivery of about 700 new 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.
About 100 aircraft in the new widebody order are expected to replace older Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 aircraft, with all 767s removed from the fleet by 2030, resulting in up to an expected 25% decrease in carbon emissions per seat.
United also continues to upgrade the interiors of its existing fleet with more than 90% of the carrier’s international widebodies now featuring the United Polaris business class seat, as well as United Premium Plus seating.
Upgrades for the remaining aircraft are due to be completed by the summer of 2023.
Chief executive 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.”
Chief financial officer Gerry Laderman added: “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.
“And if the future of long-haul flying is as bright as we think it will be, United is able to capitalise on those opportunities by exercising these new widebody options – I look forward to the incremental margin and earnings these aircraft will generate.”