United plots 757 replacements with Boeing’s ‘NMA’ off the table

United faces an imperfect fleet trade off in the coming years due to lack of new-production aircraft with capabilities comparable to the airline’s ageing Boeing 757-300s. That is according to the carrier’s CCO Andrew Nocella, who says market conditions have forced United to plan to replace its 757s with 737 Max 10s and Airbus A321neos. The carrier has said it will retire its 757s this decade. “That’s… not a trade we are excited to make,” Nocella says on 13 December. He spoke in North Charleston, South Carolina after an event marking United’s order for another 100 737 Max and 100 787s. Nocella says those jets will enable United to embark on significant further expansion. Last month, Boeing made clear it will not develop a new narrowbody aircraft any time soon. The news came after Boeing had been studying designs that included a 757 replacement – known in the industry as the “New Mid-market Airplane”. Some airline executives had been urging Boeing to develop the jet, saying the other replacement options – A321neos and 737 Max 10s – lack the 757’s capabilities. “There is nothing coming,” says United’s Nocella. The airline operates 32 757-200s and 21 757-300s, Cirium fleets data shows. Nocella previously said 757-300s, in particular, have performance characteristics unmatched by the new-generation aircraft. The type has range exceeding 3,000nm (5,556km) and, in United’s configuration, carries 234 seats. The smaller 757-200 has more range but fewer seats – 169 and 176 in United’s two configurations, according to its website. Boeing’s 737 Max 10 has 3,300nm of range and can carry 188-204 passengers. A321neos carry about 190 passengers, and Airbus says its in-development A321XLR variant will have 4,700nm of range.<br/>