United Airlines Places Orders For 25 Airbus A350s And 25 Boeing 787s
December 20, 2009 | Airbus, Airlines Companies, Boeing
United Airlines announced on Tuesday that it has ordered 25 Airbus A350XWB aircraft and 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and has future purchase rights for an additional 50 of both types of aircraft.
These orders follow a six-month request for proposal process, resulting in agreements with both Airbus and Boeing that allow United to meet its financial and operational objectives.
The aircraft will be delivered between 2016 and 2019, when United will retire its international Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft. The 50 new aircraft will reduce the airline’s average seat count by approximately 19% compared to the aircraft they replace and by around 10% when averaged over the whole international fleet.
The Airbus A350s will be powered with Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines and the Boeing 787s will be powered with either Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines of GE GEnx engines. United expects to reduce its fuel costs and carbon emissions from the 50 aircraft by approximately 33%. Lifetime maintenance costs are also expected to decrease by about 40% per available seat mile compared to the aircraft that will be retired.
