Way back in 2010, when United and Continental were still in the process of merging, United
Airlines had initially ordered 25 Airbus A350-900s.
Over the years, this deal has evolved several times.
Going up to 35 and then 45 A350s.
In 2017, the airline said that it was changing its existing order for 35 A350-1000s to 45
A350-900s to replace older, less-efficient aircraft.
With 12 years having passed since the airline's initial order announcement and a number of
first-delivery deferrals, where does the airline currently stand on its commitment to the type?
Let's take a look in today's video.
In December of 2019, United Airlines announced that it would be deferring the first delivery
of its A350-900 order.
As reported by Aerotime, it was noted that the carrier would postpone the introduction
of the new widebody type by a whopping seven years- from 2020 to 2027.
In retrospect, the decision to postpone could be seen as an extremely well-timed move, considering
the pandemic would take its devastating toll on the travel and aviation industry for several
years.
However, with some airlines already reporting passenger numbers exceeding 2019 levels, can
the airline afford to wait another five years?
And considering the fact that United has constantly altered this order, will it actually follow
through on its 2027 target?
For the time being, the 45 A350s ordered continue to appear in Airbus' order and delivery data,
signaling that nothing has changed over the past few years.
As United Airlines' fleet of Boeing 777-200s continue to get older, the similarly sized
Airbus A350 continues to get more attractive as a modern replacement.
United's 777-200s now average 23 years of age.
A mix of the standard -200 and -200ER, the 777-200 subfleet operates a mix of domestic
and international services.
The base -200 is typically tasked with performing shorter domestic hops such as Chicago to Los
Angeles and New York to San Francisco.
At the same time, the -200ERs operate longer services such as New York-Sao Paulo and Houston-Frankfurt.
Part of the carrier's 777-200 fleet has been grounded since an incident with the type took
place in February 2021.
However, it appears that the grounded jets may soon resume service, with an expectation
of being reactivated in May.
In a 2017 statement from Airbus, it was announced that United's A350 order would quote "replace
older, less efficient aircraft, supporting future growth at the airline."
Considering the age of the 777-200s, 2022 would appear to be a perfect time for the
start of a phasing-in of new A350s.
However, with United sticking to its 2027 first-delivery date, it seems a long time
to be holding on to older-generation, less-efficient widebodies- especially when technology has
progressed significantly over the last two decades.
Many have doubted that United will actually follow through with this order and could change
it again in the future..
But what do you think about this longstanding order?
Do you think it will actually happen?
Or could United cancel or swap its commitment?
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment.