United orders 737MAX

[akerosid]

United has announced the first major deal of this year's Farnborough air show, when it announced a plan to acquire 100 737Max aircraft, with options for 100 more; the total value is being put at $8b. It's the first major order from UAL since its merger with Continental.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/3610...arnborough.htm

United was the second airline customer for the 737, back in the mid 1960s, after Lufthansa, and the launch customer for the -200, which it introduced into service in August 1967, with the delivery of N9001U. Since then, UAL has ordered the -300 and -500, while Continental has operated the -100 (acquired from the People Express merger in '87), -3/500, -700,-800 and -900ER; deliveries of the NGs are continuing, the latest being delivered as recently as last week.

Lufthansa will cease 737 operations in 2016, so will not get to celebrate fifty years of 737 operations, but United will. Is this the first time this has ever happened - a fifty year relationship between an airline and an aircraft? Possibly Delta's relationship with the DC9/MD80, which it will celebrate in 2015, will beat it, but it's still an amazing achievement

This latest order ensures that UAL's relationship with the 737 will continue for another 20 years at least.

[TAP-A343]

With CO's CEO in charge of the new UA it seems that UA will become also an exclusive Boeing client.

[Peter Kesternich]

Well, I think that the times of exclusive deals with a manufacturer are mostly over. Unless they operate a one-type fleet (like Southwest), big airlines will want to divide their orders among the big manufacturers so as not to be too dependent on any one of them.

[Taliesin]

Originally Posted by Peter Kesternich

Well, I think that the times of exclusive deals with a manufacturer are mostly over. Unless they operate a one-type fleet (like Southwest), big airlines will want to divide their orders among the big manufacturers so as not to be too dependent on any one of them.

Nah, in the US, patriotism trumps common sense every time.

[Peter Kesternich]

Originally Posted by Taliesin

Nah, in the US, patriotism trumps common sense every time.

...as the big A320NEO order by former Boeing-exclusive customer American Airlines so aptly proves...

[SAMRPICS]

I suspect for the giant carriers like those in the USA the days of one manufacturer are over especially in the USA where airlines like AA, DL and UA are still flying rather old aircraft. Especially with AA's 300 odd MD80s and Delta's countless DC-9s and old A320s fast needing replacements. Here in Europe our airlines by a large planned ahead that bit better but when it comes time to replace the Airbuses in AF's, BA's and LH's groups we could well see the same story being replayed.

[Foxtrot]

Originally Posted by Taliesin

Nah, in the US, patriotism trumps common sense every time.

So then why do US and the former NW fleets have large numbers of Airbuses? Not every order is going to be an all-Airbus order, there are other manufacturers out there with fine aircraft.

[Taliesin]

Originally Posted by Foxtrot

So then why do US and the former NW fleets have large numbers of Airbuses? Not every order is going to be an all-Airbus order, there are other manufacturers out there with fine aircraft.

I might not have been entirely serious when I wrote that

I realise that there are several factors that dictate which aircraft to buy, cost/CASM, commonality, availability and so forth.

With that said, it does strike me as odd that the new United, with some 150 A320 and some 220 737s would ditch their A320s and go all 737(MAX). The A320NEO is arguably the better aircraft, with a fan that's 12" bigger, the 737MAX really only has one advantage left: Lower weight. That means United is planning on using the 737 on shorter routes or they think the disadvantage of using the 737 on longer routes is worth it against the benefits of fleet and pilot commonality, when most of your widebody fleet is going to be Boeing as well, but then again, they have some 50 A350 on order..
To me, a split order would have made a lot of sense, but then again, many things make sense from the perspective of this comfy chair of mine..