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United Airlines plans to retire 80 aircraft in 2027 as it prepares to welcome the long-delayed Boeing 737 MAX 10 into its fleet. In an earnings call this week, United’s Chief Financial Officer Mike Leskinen confirmed the carrier will “step up” its retirement plan for older, less-efficient aircraft as it looks to cut costs and improve margins across its network.
The Chicago-based airline expects to take delivery of up to 20 737 MAX 10s in 2027. While the type has yet to receive full certification by the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA), this is expected before the end of 2026.
United Will Accelerate Retirement Of Older Aircraft Over 2027
According to Leskinen, expediting the retirement of 80 aircraft next year will help the carrier balance capacity with demand, while also ensuring its entire fleet is retrofitted with upgraded interiors more quickly. Along with the obvious improvements in fuel efficiency and operating costs, newer aircraft will help United to standardize the passenger experience with its newest interiors.
While Leskinen did not specify which types will be withdrawn, its oldest narrowbodies are the most likely candidates. The airline has already earmarked its Airbus A319s and A320s for retirement by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, its Boeing 757-200 fleet is approaching an average age of 30 years old, with the newly-arrived Airbus A321XLR set to take over its transatlantic routes. United is also an extensive operator of the previous-generation Boeing 737NG family, of which its newer MAX jets are a direct replacement.
Boeing 737 MAX 10 Deliveries Get Nearer
If Boeing succeeds in getting the MAX 10 certified on schedule, United would have waited a full decade to receive its first MAX 10 airframe. First slated to enter service in 2020, the carrier placed its first order for the stretched MAX model in 2017, and currently holds firm commitments for 167 MAX 10s. The airline plans to take delivery of up to 20 MAX 10s in 2027, a move that Leskinen states will “maximize” profits and returns on invested capital.
The wait has been so long that United has turned to Airbus over Boeing for over 250 jet orders, opting for the Airbus A321neo as an alternative to the MAX 10. The carrier has also converted many of its former MAX 10 orders to the smaller MAX 9, which is now its most numerous aircraft model with over 160 active in its fleet. Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said that the MAX 10 will arrive with more premium seating than the aircraft it replaces, and will be deployed across United’s most important routes to take advantage of this.
With the Boeing 737 MAX 7 expected to receive certification as early as this summer, the MAX 10 is currently slated before the end of 2026. The planemaker was recently handed back full authority to self-certify its 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner aircraft ahead of deliveries, a power it was stripped of in the wake of the two 737 MAX crashes in October 2018 and March 2019.
Cabin Upgrades Continue Across The Fleet
United has been steadily updating its onboard product, investing heavily in retrofits to boost premium capacity and standardize its cabins across the fleet. This includes newer seatback entertainment screens and enlarged overhead bins as part of its ‘United Next’ program. It also has its new ‘Elevated’ interior on its newest premium-heavy aircraft, including the Boeing 787-9 with Polaris Studios and the Airbus A321XLR.
One of the most noticeable additions is the adoption of Starlink across its fleet, a hugely ambitious undertaking that will see close to 1,000 aircraft equipped with the superfast Wi-Fi hardware by the end of this year. With over 450 aircraft already fitted, United CEO Scott Kirby says Wi-Fi satisfaction scores on these jets are more than double the rest of its fleet.
