United Airlines Welcomes First A321neo, Marking Airbus Return

United Airlines (UA) has officially received its inaugural Airbus A321-200NX, marking the carrier’s first new Airbus delivery in more than two decades. The aircraft, registered as N45501 (msn 11500), completed its delivery journey from the Airbus facility at Hamburg Finkenwerder airport to Cleveland Hopkins via Reykjavik Keflavik on October 16, 2023, according to AirNav RadarBox ADS-B data.

Configured to accommodate up to 200 passengers, the A321-200NX features 123 economy class seats, 57 economy plus seats, and 20 business class seats. This delivery signifies the commencement of United Airlines’ order for 130 A321neo aircraft, including 60 commitments from earlier this month. Additionally, the carrier is scheduled to receive fifty A321-200NY(XLR)s.

United Airlines plans to deploy the A321neo into service on December 14, initially operating on leisure routes from Chicago O’Hare to Fort Lauderdale International and Phoenix Sky Harbor.

This delivery holds particular significance as the last new Airbus received by United Airlines was the A320-200, with registration N498UA (msn 1865), inducted in October 2002. While the carrier added twenty-eight A319-100s and A320-200s between 2016 and 2021, they were exclusively second-hand aircraft formerly operated by China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao). Currently, United’s Airbus fleet comprises eighty-one A319s and ninety-seven A320-200s. Notably, the carrier’s widebody fleet remains exclusively from Boeing. The arrival of the A321neo signals a new chapter in United Airlines’ fleet expansion strategy and operational capabilities.