United Airlines has ordered 270 new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. The American Boeing is allowed to supply two hundred aircraft of the type 737 MAX, and Airbus receives an order for seventy units of the type A321neo.
In total, United’s order is worth about $15 billion, market experts estimate.
The new aircraft is to replace United’s smaller regional jets. With this, the company wants to compete for customers who are willing to pay for more space during their flights. Such passengers account for a larger share of airlines’ profits.
Combined with previous orders, United can add more than 500 new aircraft to its fleet over the next five years. At the same time, United wants to get rid of about two hundred smaller devices. Those planes with around fifty seats are now being used on regional flights in the United States.
United also no longer wants to use about a hundred aircraft of the types 757-200 from Boeing and A319 and A320 from Airbus.