United Airlines made headlines yesterday with a huge order for Boeing and Airbus. Above all, the airline intends to use this to move forward with modernizing its narrow-body fleet and to respond to the growing demand for flights in the USA.
Just yesterday, United Airlines announced the largest order in its company’s history. The scheduled American airline plans to order a total of 270 aircraft – 200 Boeing 737 Max and 70 mid-range Airbus A321neo aircraft. But that was by no means all that United announced: by 2025, all old planes would be removed from United Airlines’ fleet and replaced with new ones. The airline also announced that the new plane will have a new interior design with in-flight entertainment (IFE) at every seat, such as one press release Shows.
Generation change must happen quickly
After recently announcing that United Airlines suffered billions in losses, the American airline is now looking positively to the future – and with 270 new aircraft ordered, above all, it wants to move forward with the modernization of its narrow-body fleet. By 2025, all older aircraft from United Airlines’ fleet will be phased out and replaced with newer aircraft.
Business travel is back 100 percent and everything we see week after week makes us more confident.
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines
Above all, the airline expects the new aircraft to generate operational business savings. Because new planes have more seats, the cost per airline seat per mile should be reduced by eight percent, Kirby says. Compared to 2019, United Airlines will then offer an additional 30 percent of seats per departing flight from 2026.
State-of-the-art concept
United has announced that all 737 MAX and A321neo aircraft will be equipped with the fastest internet connection available. In-flight entertainment is expected to include 13-inch HD screens on every First Class seat and 10-inch HD screens on every United Economy Class seat on the 737 Max. In addition, there will be free access to more than 2,800 options: including movies, TV shows, and international selections as well as audio playlists, podcasts, and games. United’s exclusive collaboration with Coda Collection will also allow customers to watch live documentaries and concerts. Additionally, seats on these aircraft must have USB power and charging connections and provide a seating experience with barrier-free functionality for people with a hearing or visual impairment.
The generation change in the narrow-body fleet must come quickly: United intends to acquire 40 new narrow-body chassis in 2022, 138 in 2023 and 350 in the following years. In 2023, the airline will then receive a new jet with one aisle every three days. In addition, United intends to convert 100 percent of its narrow base fleet to these standards by 2025. Combined with the large number of new aircraft that will be added to the fleet, this is an unusual retrofit project at an incredibly fast pace. The modern frontier experience will then be available to millions of customers in a very short time.
Conclusion on the new cabins of United Airlines
With a huge order of 270 aircraft, United Airlines is essentially planning to move forward with modernizing its narrow-body fleet. This provides a state-of-the-art onboard service that will be available to millions of customers at record speed. So United Airlines customers can look forward to modern cabins that shine with new splendor.