United Airlines will be confronted with multiple delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus for the MAX and A321neo. In the 10K filing that the airline released on Thursday on its Q1 2023 results, the airline shares some insights into the effects that supply chain and other issues have on its fleet plan. Airframer issues hurt United deliveries.
In the filing, United says it has 412 Boeing MAX on order, of which 114 were supposed to be delivered until December, 88 in 2024, and 210 after 2024. But this plan can go out of the window. Boeing told the airline that because of the recent manufacturing issues with the tailfin six MAX 8s will be delayed from Q2 to later this year. An unspecified number of MAX 8s is expected to slip from Q3 to later dates this year or even to 2024. Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun said on Tuesday during the annual general meeting that the tailfin issue will affect some 45-50 deliveries until this summer.
At least 37 MAX deliveries will move from this year to 2024 anyway, but United estimates that another eleven aircraft will slip by a year to 2024. Another thirty aircraft will be delayed from 2024 to 2025. The are likely MAX 10s as the type will be delayed only in 2024.
As far as Airbus deliveries are concerned, these will slip too. The carrier also has seventy A321neo’s on order, of which twelve were originally due this year, 31 in 2024, and 37 beyond 2024. However, United says it has been informed that eight deliveries scheduled for 2023 will move to 2024 and ten from 2024 to 2025. Fifty A321XLRs will arrive after 2024, but this depends on when this version will be certified. Airbus is hoping to complete this by Q2 2024.
The fleet plan also includes the 100 Boeing 787s that were ordered last December, of which ten were previously listed as undisclosed. The first eight newly ordered 787s will join in 2024, with the remaining 92 in subsequent years. Still in the books are 45 A350-900s, although their future remains a question mark.
