United Airlines nears deal for major Boeing 787 order
United Airlines is close to reaching a deal with the Boeing replace its old 767-300ER fleet with 787s, and could place an order by the end of the month, the Wall Street Journal reported.
While sources did not identify the number of aircraft or variants involved, United is likely to sign for at least fifty 787s, although the batch will likely include purchase rights or options.
The Wall Street Journal, which reported the plan earlier, said United was close to ordering dozens of 787 Dreamliners.
The Dreamliners will replace United’s remaining fifty-three Boeing 767s including:
- 37 Boeing 767-300ERs 27 years old in average
- 16 Boeing 767-400ERs 21 years old in average
United and Boeing both declined to comment. United had 65 787 Dreamliners at the end of September and will have 68 by the end of 2022.
United’s current 787 fleet:
- 12 Boeing 787-8s,
- 38 Boeing 787-9s
- 16 Boeing 787-10s, 5 on order
United Airlines ordered forty-five Airbus A350-900s in 2017 but has repeatedly deferred their deliveries.
In October, Boeing said it was continuing to produce 787s at a low rate, and “will gradually return to five airplanes per month over time.” Boeing said with strong demand and more than 400 widebody airplanes in backlog “we anticipate higher production rates.”
In August, Boeing delivered its first 787 since May 2021 after facing production problems. The Federal Aviation Administration cleared the way for deliveries to resume after the agency approved Boeing’s inspection and retrofit plan needed to meet certification standards in July.