Confirming rumors that had been swirling in recent weeks, United Airlines announced Tuesday an agreement with Boeing for the purchase of 100 Boeing 787 Dreamliner plus options for another 100, making it the largest order for widebody aircraft by a U.S. airline in history.
The Dreamliners, which will be of the 787-8, 787-9 or 787-10 variants, will be received between 2024 and 2032. 100 of these aircraft will be destined to replace the Boeing 767 and 777, which will mark the final retirement of the 767 fleet by 2030.
United also executed options to purchase 44 Boeing 737 MAXs to be delivered between 2024 and 2026 and ordered another 56 MAXs to be delivered between 2027 and 2028.
The company expects to receive around 700 new narrow-body and wide-body aircraft by 2032. In 2023 this will represent two each week and in 2024 three per week.
«United emerged from the pandemic as the world’s leading global airline and the flag carrier of the United States,» said United CEO Scott Kirby. «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.» he added.
«With this investment in its future fleet, the 737 MAX and 787 will help United accelerate its fleet modernization and global growth strategy,» said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. «The Boeing team is honored by United’s trust in our family of airplanes to connect people and transport cargo around the world for decades to come.» he concluded.
