United Air Lines expands existing aircraft order with 150 B737s

UNITED Air Lines, the wholly-owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings (UAL), has placed an order for 150 narrow body Boeing 737 aircraft.

Under the terms of the agreement, United will purchase 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft and 50 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft for delivery between 2013 and 2022. The airline will become the North American launch customer for the 737 MAX 9.

The company said the new aircraft will enable it to replace older, less efficient aircraft to reduce fuel and operating costs and maximise network opportunities.

"New aircraft deliveries support our flexible fleet plan, permitting us to tailor future capacity up or down, based on changes in demand or other market conditions," said UAL president and CEO Jeff Smisek.

"These new aircraft, combined with our new wide body aircraft already on order and our existing fuel-efficient aircraft, will solidify United's future fleet as one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible fleets among our global competitors," he said.

The airline is scheduled to begin taking delivery of 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in 2018. This model is expected to achieve fuel burn and CO2 emission reductions of up to 13 per cent compared to current 737 aircraft.

Deliveries of the 50 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft are to begin in late 2013. These next-generation models will be used primarily to replace older, less efficient Boeing 757-200 aircraft that are flown on domestic routes in the US and are expected to burn up to 15 per cent less fuel per seat than the aircraft they replace.

The carrier's current order book comprises 272 new aircraft that are due to be delivered by 2022, including 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 25 Airbus A350XWBs. The first delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is expected to reduce fuel and operating costs by up to 20 per cent, is scheduled for late September.