United Airlines has asked Airbus and Boeing for bids to build up to 150 planes as part of a plan to replace its aging fleet.
In a letter to employees Thursday, 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.”
The order could be placed as early as this fall, Tilton said.
“They are moving at the right time,” said aviation analyst Mike Boyd, whose Boyd Group is based in Evergreen.
“Boeing and Airbus have soft orders,” Boyd said, with some airlines delaying delivery of new jets. “So you better believe they will try to make United a deal it can’t refuse.”
Boyd said a big company such as United will find financing.
As for passengers, they probably won’t notice much, Boyd said.
“United takes good care of its planes, so there probably won’t be a lot of difference,” he said.
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 year’s end.
“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.”
New aircraft, Tilton said, would improve cost structure and operational performance while reducing environmental impact.
“This program will define our fleet strategy for the next 25 years,” Tilton said.
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
