United Airlines is expected to provide an update on grounded Boeing 737 Max 9s in an earnings call today.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded 171 of type after an unused door on an Alaska Airlines aircraft broke away mid-flight on January 5.
United has 79 B737 Max 9s in its fleet, more than any other carrier, followed by Alaska Airlines.
Both carriers have been forced to cancel hundreds of flights this month as inspections are carried out.
United expects the aircraft to remain grounded until January 26.
Meanwhile, the FAA is recommending that operators of B737-900ER aircraft “visually inspect” mid-exit door plugs to ensure the door is properly secured.
The B737-900ER is not part of the newer Max fleet but has the same door plug design.
Almost 500 B737-900ERs are in service, at least 79 of which have an active door rather than the plug because they are operated by low-cost airlines with denser cabins, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium quoted by The Times. Delta Air Lines is the largest operator of the type.
The latest developments came as United reported a surge in annual pre-tax profits to $3.4 billion for last year, up from $990 million in 2022.
A record 165 million passengers were flown in 2023 with the highest seat factor for the year at 86.4%.
United ended the year operating the busiest travel period in its history, flying 8.2 million passengers in the last two weeks of December – an average of 483,000 each day.
The airline’s premium cabin saw an increase in revenue of 16% for final quarter year-on-year, while its ‘basic economy’ offering saw a 20% revenue increase.
The overall performance saw United claim to become the world’s largest airline by available seat miles for the full year as it flew its biggest domestic schedule of more than 3,500 daily flights and operated the largest volume of international flights, 30% more than the next largest US carrier.
United is set to operate a record international network in summer 2024 with nine of its most popular seasonal routes starting up to two months early.
Ahead of today’s earning call, chief executive Scott Kirby said: ”Our plans really came together in 2023, and I want to thank the United team for all of the hard work it took to get us there.
“Despite unpredictable headwinds, we delivered on our ambitious EPS [earnings per share] target that few thought possible – and set new operational records for our customers.
“Looking ahead, we expect these trends to continue and United is incredibly well positioned to capitalise on them and to deliver on our short and long-term financial targets.”