Boeing Announces Historic 737 Orders From United Airlines

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- Boeing announced Thursday an order by United Continental Holdings Inc and its wholly-owned subsidiary, United Air Lines Inc, for 150 737 airplanes, including 100 of the new 737 MAX 9. United, the world's largest airline by traffic, is the latest carrier to choose the newest member of the 737 family, which today eclipsed 10,000 orders overall. The deal, worth US$14.7 billion at list prices, also includes 50 Next Generation 737-900ERs (Extended-Range). "This order is a major step in building the world's leading airline, and we look forward to offer our customers the modern features and reliability of the new Boeing airplanes, while also making our fleet more fuel efficient and environment-friendly," said Jeff Smisek, United's President and Chief Executive Officer, from Chicago in a statement. "New aircraft deliveries support our flexible fleet plan, permitting us to tailor future capacity up or down, based on changes in demand or other market conditions," he said. United is the North American launch customer for the 737 MAX 9. The order continues the momentum for the 737 MAX, which now has more than 1,200 orders and commitments from 18 customers. Counting all variants, the 737 programme now stands at 10,039 orders, further cementing the 737 as the undisputed best-selling jetliner in the world. "United and Boeing share a rich history together and we are delighted United has chosen the 737 for its future fleet, renewing our partnership for decades to come," said Ray Conner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in a joint statement. "We believe the 737 provides unsurpassed quality and value in the market and will provide efficiency and other benefits to United's operations," he said. The Next-Generation 737 is the most fuel-efficient and reliable single-aisle airplane today with an eight per cent operating cost over the nearest competitor. The 737 MAX builds on these strengths with big advances in fuel-efficiency and environmental performance. Equipped with new LEAP-1B engines from CFM International and improvements such as the Advanced Technology Winglet, the MAX reduces fuel burn and CO2 emissions by 13 per cent while maintaining the eight per cent operating cost advantage over the future competition. "These continuous improvements have powered the programme to the impressive order milestone," Conner said. "To witness the first commercial airplane to surpass 10,000 orders is monumental," said Beverly Wyse, Vice-President and General Manager of the 737 programme. "The 737 has continuously evolved and provides improved performance, reliability and exceptional value for our customers," he said. The 737-900ER and 737 MAX 9 ordered by United can seat up to 180 passengers and feature the new Boeing Sky Interior. The sleek interior boasts modern lines, a spacious cabin with more head room and LED lighting that offers vibrant colour options. United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,605 flights a day to 375 airports in six continents. Last year, United flew more than two million flights that carried 142 million passengers, more than any other airline. -- BERNAMA