United Airlines Holdings has ordered 25 new Boeing 737 Max aircraft to receive in 2023 and moved up the delivery of others as it prepares to replace ageing jets and meet post-pandemic demand growth, the company said on Monday.
US airlines have parked and retired aircraft as the coronavirus pandemic sapped travel but are beginning to position their business for a recovery as more vaccines are distributed across the country and globally.
"With a number of our aircraft nearing the end of their lifecycle and the growth opportunities that we know will exist in the Covid-19 recovery period, this agreement will help us to grow as demand returns," chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella said in a memo.
The move is a vote of confidence in Boeing after two fatal 737 Max crashes triggered a 20-month safety ban that US regulators lifted last November.
Shares in Boeing and United rose over 6 per cent.
In addition to the new Boeing order, United said it has moved up delivery of 40 previously ordered Max aircraft to 2022 and 5 to 2023, meaning it will have 94 new aircraft in its fleet over those two years.
Altogether, it has 188 orders for the more fuel-efficient, single-aisle Max.
The deal comes as United continues to push for a third round of government payroll relief for airlines. It sent about 9,200 furlough notices to employees last week that will take place in April without an extension of a current support package, a spokeswoman said.
After voluntary leaves and early retirements over the past year, United said its headcount totaled 74,400 at the end of 2020, down 22 per cent from 2019.
Its total aircraft financial commitments totaled about $24.3 billion as of February, 2021, it said in a regulatory filing.
United has 52 Boeing 777-200 wide-body aircraft which were grounded last week after an engine failure, prompting some potential scheduling headaches.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
