United plans a record fleet expansion as travel rebounds

United announced Tuesday that it would place the largest order for airplanes in its history and create about 25,000 jobs a year after a pandemic devastated its business, betting on a domestic travel boom and demand for more expensive, premium seats. The order, for 270 single-aisle Boeing and Airbus planes, is the biggest aircraft purchase from a US airline in a decade and will allow United to increase the number of planes in its fleet and their average size. As part of that expansion, the company expects to hire more people, including up to 5,000 in Newark and 4,000 in San Francisco. United’s purchase is the strongest signal yet that airline executives believe that the coronavirus pandemic is petering out in the United States and that demand for travel is set to increase strongly in the next several years. Just a year ago, the airline industry sought government bailouts and borrowed billions of dollars to survive. The order is also a big win for Boeing, which has struggled to regain its credibility with regulators and airlines after two fatal crashes grounded its top-selling plane, the 737 Max. The manufacturer will supply 200 of United’s new planes, all versions of the 737 Max. Airbus will provide the remaining 70, all from the A321neo line, which competes directly with the Max. United, which is based in Chicago, declined to say how much it was paying for the planes or how the orders would be financed.<br/>