US carriers accelerate to bigger planes to overcome operating constraints

United Airlines' plan to navigate the operating constraints dogging US carriers is simple – bigger planes. In announcing plans on Tuesday to order 110 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, Chicago-based United cited the shortage of air-traffic controllers, congested airspace and limitations on runways and airport gates that have forced many carriers to cut the number of flights they offer. With United expecting those problems to worsen by the end of the decade as demand surges, it is buying bigger planes with more seats - a strategy rival airlines have embarked upon as well. "The country is just not building a lot more runways and that's just going to cause us to need to upgauge our aircraft to respond to growing demand," United's CCO Andrew Nocella said Tuesday, using an industry term for a shift to larger planes. He added that travel demand cannot be met without bigger planes. The company aims to increase average seats per departure in North America by more than 40% in 2027 from 2019. United's latest order includes 50 Boeing 787-9 planes that it plans to operate on many routes currently being serviced by 767s. That version of 787 holds up to 129 more seats than the 767s in its fleet. Similarly, the 60 Airbus A321neos that United is buying can accommodate up to 30% more seats than some of Boeing's 757s that it has been flying.<br/>