News that United might switch its A350-1000 order is interesting. Especially as this follows the recent decision to change the airline’s 737 order from earlier this year. A quick poll to see what your thoughts are.
United’s fleet planning revision is spurred by recent inputs from Boeing concerning the near-term availability of a MOM vector, ie some MAX-10 or 757 MAX, permitting higher frequencies on medium-haul thin citypairs, whereby United presently sees a lesser requirement for aircraft in the 787/A330/A330 NEO/A350 categories, replaced at the bottom by significant numbers of the new MOM type.
I think United’s re-consideration of their -1000 order is related to their -300ER order for 14 I think because they will be flying the same long haul routes the -1000 would be used for. First, United needed these planes quickly now, not years from now when the first -1000 delivery would be made, because United’s long haul services are not competitive, and at least so long as oil prices are low, the -300ER’s efficiency will be close to the -1000’s.
Second, United is using the Boeings to replace 747s. One may recall that United’s original A359 order was intended to replace the 747s. I think the long range wide-body mkt now is also focused on smaller planes than the 350-400 seaters (eg. SIA’s use of the A359 on North American routes and ANA’s recent announcement of numerous new long/thin routes to be flown by 787s, they were of course the launch customer for the 787).
United’s fleet planning revision is spurred by recent inputs from Boeing concerning the near-term availability of a MOM vector, ie some MAX-10 or 757 MAX, permitting higher frequencies on medium-haul thin citypairs, whereby United presently sees a lesser requirement for aircraft in the 787/A330/A330 NEO/A350 categories, replaced at the bottom by significant numbers of the new MOM type.
I think United’s re-consideration of their -1000 order is related to their -300ER order for 14 I think because they will be flying the same long haul routes the -1000 would be used for. First, United needed these planes quickly now, not years from now when the first -1000 delivery would be made, because United’s long haul services are not competitive, and at least so long as oil prices are low, the -300ER’s efficiency will be close to the -1000’s.
Second, United is using the Boeings to replace 747s. One may recall that United’s original A359 order was intended to replace the 747s. I think the long range wide-body mkt now is also focused on smaller planes than the 350-400 seaters (eg. SIA’s use of the A359 on North American routes and ANA’s recent announcement of numerous new long/thin routes to be flown by 787s, they were of course the launch customer for the 787).