United Becomes the First Airline to Operate a 1,000-Aircraft Fleet

United Airlines took delivery of a brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 9 on January 24, 2025, bringing its total fleet to 1,000 aircraft and solidifying its status as the world’s largest airline by number of planes.

United’s nearest competitors, Delta and American Airlines, operate 985 and 978 mainline aircraft, respectively.

Photo: United Airlines, Boeing 737 MAX 9. Courtesy of Henry Siismets / Unsplash

The new 737 MAX 9 was delivered to United on Monday, and on Tuesday, it flew from Boeing Field (BFI) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to enter service.

United's Fleet in Detail

United boasts a fleet that is predominantly dominated by Boeing, featuring an impressive total of 861 Boeing aircraft in operation or parked, while it operates a modest 107 Airbus planes.

Among this extensive Boeing lineup, the 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 stand out as relatively youthful additions, with average ages of just 5.23 years and 10.32 years respectively.

Conversely, the older Boeing models, such as the 757-200 and 757-300, aged at 28.0 years and 22.5 years respectively, reveal a legacy of enduring service, playing a crucial role on mid- and long-haul routes or less frequent schedules, catering to operational needs where cutting-edge advancements are not as imperative.

Photo: Courtesy of United

Furthermore, the inclusion of the modern 787-8, -9, and -10 Dreamliners coninuously helps United renew its aging fleet of Boeing 777-200s, which should begin their phasing out progressively as more Dreamliners continue to arrive.

MAX on the Spotlight

United currently operates 87 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, the second-longest variant of the 737 MAX program. This model features a longer fuselage than its predecessor, the 737 MAX 8, allowing for additional seating capacity. It is primarily used for medium-haul domestic routes and shorter international flights to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Photo: Boeing 737 MAX 8. Courtesy of United

The MAX 9 is, of course, a controversial aircraft. It was a MAX 9 that lost a door during an Alaska Airlines flight last January, causing uncontrolled depressurization of the cabin and three minor injuries. After the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded the 171 MAX 9s, then flew in the U.S. for twenty days, and 79 operated by the United States.

United said the groundings, which forced it to cancel hundreds of flights last winter, ultimately cost it $200 million. It reached a confidential settlement with Boeing in the form of credits for future orders.

The MAX 9 incident is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) but is thought to be caused by a faulty repair by Boeing.

In the wake of the incident, United CEO Scott Kirby expressed frustration with the manufacturer. “We need Boeing to succeed. But they’ve been having these consistent manufacturing challenges. They need to take action here,” he told CNBC last year.

Photo: Courtesy of United

United has orders for hundreds of future 737 MAXs, including many MAX 10s, a model whose FAA certification has been held up by the controversy around Boeing. Last year, United switched some MAX 10 orders for MAX 9 variants, demonstrating a commitment to the model.

However, the airline has also had to reconsider its network plans as deliveries from Boeing have been postponed. United received just 63 aircraft from Boeing last year, rather than the 165 it had anticipated.

United Turns to Airbus

Boeing’s challenges have not hindered the growth of its largest customer, United. The airline has swiftly taken steps to diversify its fleet. Last year, it leased 25 Airbus A321neo aircraft, which compete with the 737 MAX family and plans to lease an additional 40 units of this model before the decade concludes.

Photo: United Airlines, first A321neo. Courtesy of Airbus

Additionally, United has redirected some of its aircraft from domestic routes to more profitable international flights.

As the U.S. carrier with the largest overseas network, it’s benefited from a boom in international travel. Bookings on transatlantic United flights were up 30 percent during the winter of 2024, which is traditionally a slow time for European travel, compared to 2019.

Capitalizing on this appetite for international travel, United will operate its largest-ever transatlantic schedule this summer, with new destinations including Bilbao, Spain (BIO); Dakar, Senegal (DSS); Faro, Portugal (FAO); Madeira Island, Portugal (FNC); Palermo, Italy (PMO).

Photo: United, Boeing 777-200ER. Courtesy of Munich Airport

United will also begin flying to Greenland’s rebuilt international airport at Nuuk (GOH) from Newark (EWR). It’s added new seasonal flights to Venice, Italy (VCE) and Nice, France (NCE).

The airline has also redeployed planes from weaker routes to Asia, including tourist hotspot Japan and first-time destinations Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (UBN) and Kaohsiung, Taiwan (KHH).

Photo: United Airlines, Boeing 737-700. Courtesy of Chris Leipelt / Unsplash

Despite manufacturer holdups, United still hopes to modernize its fleet with more than 800 new aircraft by 2023, replacing aging planes with models with better fuel efficiency and more premium seats. It is anticipated that hundreds of those planes will be Boeing-manufactured.

Its next delivery from Boeing is right around the corner. United has made two customer acceptance flights in recent days on a new Boeing 737 MAX 8, which could soon become its 1,001st plane.