United Airlines, headquartered at Chicago O’Hare, has announced a major revision to its fleet expansion strategy due to the postponement of Boeing 737-10 deliveries. Initially slated to welcome eighty MAX 10s in 2024, the airline now anticipates a significant shortfall, with none of the aircraft expected to arrive next year. This adjustment stems from ongoing certification delays and supply chain disruptions affecting Boeing’s delivery timeline.
The adjustment was disclosed in United Airlines’ annual report, indicating that the carrier had planned for a substantial influx of 737-10s – 80 in 2024, 71 in 2025, and the balance of 126 in the subsequent years. However, uncertainties surrounding the certification process and supply chain challenges have led United to concede that it cannot predict when the deliveries scheduled beyond 2025 will materialize.
United Airlines holds the distinction of being the largest customer for the MAX 10 variant, which is still pending certification. Recent developments, including the withdrawal of a request for a Time-Limited Exemption (TLE) related to its engine anti-icing system, suggest that the earliest the aircraft could receive certification would be the end of 2024 or later.
Despite the setback with the MAX 10s, United Airlines anticipates the delivery of thirty-seven 737-8s and nineteen 737-9s in 2024, with the final deliveries of these models expected by the end of 2025. United’s current fleet includes eighty-five -8s and seventy-nine -9s, as per the ch-aviation fleets module.
United Airlines has clarified that the omission of the 737-10 from its internal fleet plan earlier this year does not equate to a cancellation of the order. Speculation about a potential order for Airbus A321-200neos as a supplementary or alternative fleet strategy has been rife, although the availability of Airbus production slots remains a significant challenge. United currently operates five A321-200NXs, with an additional 125 on firm order, scheduled for delivery through 2030.
This development highlights the broader impacts of aircraft delivery delays on airline operations, potentially affecting United’s financial position, operational results, and cash flows in the near term. It also underscores the dynamic nature of fleet management in response to manufacturing and regulatory uncertainties.
