United Airlines has asked Airbus and Boeing for bids to build up to 150 new planes as part of a plan to replace its aging fleet.
In a letter to employees today, United chief executive Glenn Tilton said the request sent this week to the plane manufacturers “could result in a potentially significant number of aircraft that could ultimately replace our widebody fleet.”
Tilton said the company also will be assessing “appropriate replacement of our Boeing 757 fleet.” United’s 757s have an average age of 17 years.
United, which has slightly more than 400 active aircraft, has said it will remove its remaining 46 737s — the oldest and least fuel-efficient planes in the fleet — by the end of the year.
“The decision of whether to move ahead with new aircraft will be based on facts and analytical rigor,” Tilton’s letter read. “In addition to earning a return, any aircraft order must be financed in a way that strengthens our balance sheet over the long term and does not impact our cash position.”
An aircraft order, Tilton said, would improve cost structure and improve operational performance while reducing the airline’s environmental impact.
United cut its capacity — the number of seats available — by 11.9 percent in May compared with a year earlier. The airline, the largest at Denver International Airport, also reported a $382 million first-quarter loss this year.
Ann Schrader: 303-954-1967 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
