United Airlines is in advanced talks with Airbus and Boeing to place an additional order for Airbus A321neos and Boeing 737 MAX jets in a move to revamp its narrow-body fleet.
United could buy as many as 150 Boeing 737 MAX jets along with dozens of Airbus A321neos in a multibillion-dollar deal to upgrade its fleet in the foreseeable future.
However, both manufacturer’s said that they do not comment on customer discussions. In response to this, United spokesperson Luke Punzenberger said:
“We do not currently have a deal in place with Boeing or Airbus to purchase new aircraft and do not comment on speculative aircraft orders.”
The Chicago based airline has also accelerated the delivery of its Boeing MAXs as the demand for air travel is surging in the United States. It is expecting to take deliveries of 40 MAX jets in 2022 and 54 in 2023.
In March, United ordered 25 Boeing 737 MAX jets. United also ordered 50 Airbus A321XLR’s in 2019, in a move to replace ageing Boeing 757s and meet post-pandemic demand growth.
According to a United spokeswoman, the carrier has turned its attention towards planning for a bright future away from managing the pandemic crisis.