United Announces Order For 150 Boeing Aircraft

[theaveragejoe]

CHICAGO, July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) and its wholly owned subsidiary, United Air Lines, Inc., today announced an order to purchase 150 narrowbody Boeing 737 aircraft. Under the new agreement, United will purchase 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft and 50 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft for delivery between 2013 and 2022. These new aircraft will allow United to replace older, less-efficient aircraft to reduce fuel and operating costs, enhance the customer experience and maximize network opportunities. In addition, United is the North American launch customer for the 737 MAX 9, continuing its long tradition of launching new programs such as the 767, 777 and 787.

(B-roll video of United's 737 MAX 9 is available at http://bit.ly/NLP3ug. High-resolution images of United's 737 MAX 9 and 737-900ER are available at http://bit.ly/dCdS2s.)

"This order is a major step in building the world's leading airline, and we look forward to offering our customers the modern features and reliability of new Boeing airplanes, while also making our fleet more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly," said Jeff Smisek, United's President and CEO. "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."

"These new aircraft, combined with our new widebody 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," said Smisek.

United will begin taking delivery of 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in 2018. Boeing's newest family of airplanes will deliver a significant improvement in fuel efficiency in the single-aisle aircraft market. The 737 MAX 9 will be powered by the new CFM International LEAP-1B engine. The 737 MAX 9 is expected to achieve fuel burn and CO2 emission reductions of up to 13 percent compared to current 737 aircraft. United's 737 MAX fleet will feature the customer-pleasing Boeing Sky Interior, which creates a greater sense of space in the cabin and features an energy-efficient LED lighting system with different lighting and color schemes, a quieter cabin with improved ventilation, and larger overhead bins that accommodate additional carry-on bags.

United also plans to purchase 50 additional Boeing 737-900ER aircraft with deliveries beginning in late 2013. These next-generation models will be used primarily to replace older, less-efficient Boeing 757-200 aircraft that are flown domestically and are expected to burn up to 15 percent less fuel per seat than the aircraft they replace. CFM56-7B engines will power the aircraft. United was the North American launch customer for the 737-900ER when its predecessor placed its first order in 2006 and currently operates a fleet of 43 737-900ER aircraft.

The new 737-900ER will also feature the Boeing Sky Interior, which has been included on United's 737-900ER aircraft since United became the first U.S. airline to operate 737-900ER aircraft with the new interior in 2011.

This order solidifies United's well-balanced order book with 272 new aircraft deliveries anticipated through 2022, including 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 25 Airbus A350XWBs. United will be the first North American carrier to take delivery of the 787 Dreamliner, a revolutionary airplane that will provide customers a superior travel experience while reducing fuel and operating costs by up to 20 percent, with the first delivery scheduled in late September

 

 

http://ir.unitedcontinentalholdings.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=83680&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1714264&highlight=

[theaveragejoe]

United Airlines Announces Dreamliner Induction Plan

 

CHICAGO, July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines, the North American launch customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, is today announcing details about its induction of the aircraft into the company's fleet and revealing a specially-designed livery for the revolutionary aircraft.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120709/CG36734)

(High-resolution images of United's Dreamliner livery are available at http://bit.ly/dCdS2s)

United is scheduled to take delivery of its first Dreamliner in late September. The aircraft cabin is being installed on the first aircraft, and will be configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 72 seats in United Economy Plus and 111 seats in United Economy. Cabin color selections use a palette of blue and grey and are consistent with other modern United aircraft. Customers will experience greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features. The 787's inflight entertainment system features an all-new design that offers more intuitive browsing and more filtering options, giving customers the option of searching for programs by language.

The airline's 787 fleet will feature a customized livery that is exclusive to the fleet: the gold line that wraps the fuselage will swoop from nose to tail. The swoop is inspired by the trademark swoop painted on each of Boeing's aircraft and is being adopted for the United 787 in a tribute to the two companies' long history of working together.

United has been the launch customer for more than a dozen Boeing aircraft models, and was the first airline to operate the 767 and 777 aircraft. This tradition continues with United being the North America launch customer of the 787.

Delivery Preparations

In preparation for delivery of the first United Dreamliner, United installed a full-flight simulator at its Houston hub and is training pilots on operation of the aircraft. Flight attendants and mechanics have trained in 787 systems and operations, with additional training scheduled to continue through the remainder of the year. In addition, United is preparing to provide 787 maintenance support from its Houston base, and the airline is warehousing more than 1,180 different spare parts for easy and rapid access by its technicians.

The 787 will take United customers into the new generation of flying in an economical, efficient and environmentally friendly way. Primarily built with composite materials, the 787 has 30 percent more range and uses approximately 20 percent less fuel than similarly-sized aircraft, while reducing emissions and noise during takeoffs and landings. Because of these advantages, the 787 will open up new non-stop destinations that customers would not be able to otherwise reach on United, such as the recently-announced Denver-to-Tokyo service that starts next spring.

Following delivery of the first aircraft in September, the company will conduct a variety of tests and training, including completing Federal Aviation Administration conformity checks and proving runs. The company will then enter the 787 into scheduled service in the fall.

United is planning to place five Boeing 787s into service in 2012, and has firm orders for a total of 50 new Dreamliners, with deliveries scheduled through 2019.

 

 

http://ir.unitedcontinentalholdings.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=83680&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1712820&highlight=

[Brighton Express]

Boeing is one of the best. Let us hope they make great use of these aircraft. I can't wait to see what they do in the 797. After the wing tech in the 787 dreamliner, I just can't imagine what is to come next. Maybe this one will have 6 engines. And I wonder what they are going to do when they reach the 10th generation, or if the 797 will be the end of all Boeing development.

[TheSubwayStation]

Wow. At one time, this would've made me so excited . My interests have changed so much since I became a railfan...It brings back memories...

[brightonfan666]

Cool! I never knew that.

[brightonfan666]

I did'nt know about those models. Ae they new models? And 150 aircraft? That's a lot.