United signs for 35 leased A321neos in pivot from Max 10

United Airlines has signed letters of intent with two lessors to acquire 35 new Airbus A321neos starting next year, in a move backfilling Boeing 737 Max 10s dropped from its fleet plan. The additional A321neos will “allow for a more-consistent delivery schedule” of about 100 narrowbody jets annually between 2025 and 2027, the Chicago-headquartered carrier said on 16 April, when it also disclosed its Q1 financial results. The jets will be powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines. United does not reveal which lessors will deliver the jets or the financial terms of the deals. ”We’ve adjusted our fleet plan to better reflect the reality of what the manufacturers are able to deliver,” says CE Scott Kirby. “And we’ll use those planes to capitalise on an opportunity that only United has, [to] profitably grow our mid-continent hubs and expand our highly profitable international network from our best-in-the-industry coastal hubs.” The deal is another blow to Boeing’s beleaguered Max 10 programme, which remains in certification limbo. Last month, Kirby said the carrier was considering an order of A321neos to replace the Max 10s it has removed from its fleet plan, as certification of the largest variant of Boeing next-generation narrowbodies is pushed into 2025. <br/>