Category Archives: United Airlines

United Airlines unveils largest international expansion

25 Tuesday Aug 2026

Posted by in A321XLR, Airbus, Aircraft, Airlines, United Airlines

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The Airbus A321XLR was on display at the Farnborough International Airshow last month. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

NEWARK, N.J. – United Airlines is embarking on its largest international expansion, adding 10 destinations in Europe and Asia for summer 2027, with its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft set to operate some of the new routes, the airline announced Tuesday.

Eight of the new destinations will have no other U.S. airline offering nonstop service, according to United.

The A321XLR, which United calls its “Born to Explore” aircraft, will be deployed on new routes from Newark to Luxembourg City, Ibiza, Valencia and Marseille, and from Washington Dulles to Toulouse.

The Airbus A321XLR was a top attraction at the Farnborough International Airshow last month. Photo: Abdul Latheef.

United plans to begin flying the A321XLR on select domestic routes in September before putting it into international service Dec. 1 on flights from Washington Dulles to Amsterdam and Dublin.

The aircraft features 32 premium seats, including 20 United Polaris suites and 12 United Premium Plus seats.

Photo: Abdul Latheef.

United said it also will feature a Polaris suite with a privacy door, Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members, 4K OLED screens and redesigned Economy Plus seating.

The new destinations are San Francisco to Okinawa, Japan; Newark to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Washington Dulles to Toulouse, France; Newark to Ljubljana, Slovenia; Newark to Olbia, Sardinia; Newark to Catania, Sicily; Newark to Ibiza, Spain; Newark to Valencia, Spain; Newark to Marseille, France; and Newark to Terceira in Portugal’s Azores.

United also plans new flights to destinations it already serves, including daily service from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan; three-times-weekly service from Washington Dulles to Milan; and daily service from Denver to Paris.

United said it has added 58 international destinations since 2017 and now serves more than 160 international destinations.

Tuesday’s announcement came a week after United said it had completed the first phase of an expansion of its pilot training center in Denver.

The airline said it has hired more than 9,500 pilots since announcing its United Next growth strategy in 2021.

All new routes are subject to government approval.

United Airlines expands ‘world’s largest’ pilot training center

20 Thursday Aug 2026

Posted by in Airlines, Aviation, United Airlines

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The United Flight Training Center in Denver has 860 CAE training equipment. Photo: United Airlines.

DENVER – United Airlines said Thursday it has completed the first phase of an expansion of what it calls the world’s largest pilot training facility, adding capacity as the U.S. carrier continues to grow amid a surging global demand for more pilots.

The United Flight Training Center now has 86 CAE training equipment, including 52 full-motion flight simulators and 34 fixed training devices.

The facility can train up to 860 pilots a day and conduct more than 32,000 training events annually, the airline said.

Boeing’s 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook projects the global commercial aviation industry will need about 674,000 new pilots over the next 20 years.

The 22-acre United facility has eight buildings and nearly 700,000 square feet of training space, equivalent to about 12 football fields. It is the sole training facility for United’s nearly 18,000 active pilots and all newly hired pilots.

United has hired more than 9,500 pilots, including 700 this year, since announcing its United Next growth strategy in 2021. The airline plans to hire hundreds more in the coming months.

Image: United Airlines.

The second phase of the Denver training center expansion is expected to begin next year and be operational around 2030.

United has invested $370 million in the center since 2016, including more than $145 million for a new building that opened in 2024.

Operating a fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft, United flies to over 350 destinations worldwide.

Emirates hits back in Open Skies battle

01 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by in Alpa, American, Boeing, Delta, Dubai, Emirates, Etihad, FAA, Legacy Airlines, Open Skies, Qatar, Qatar Airways, Transport, Travel, United Airlines, United Arab Emirates, United States

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EK2Dubai’s Emirates airline has released a 400-page rebuttal to claims by three major U.S. airlines that it is enjoying an unfair advantage through state subsidies.

In a white paper issued in January, U.S. legacy airlines Delta, United and American had accused Emirates of receiving more than $6 billion in subsidies from the Dubai government.

On Tuesday, Emirates hit back.

“Their argument is nothing more than a mess of legal distortions and factual errors,” the U.A.E. national carrier said in the document posted on its website.

“What the legacy carriers want is protection from competition. Such protection would do irreparable harm to U.S. cities and airports, America’s world-leading aerospace industry, U.S. exports and jobs, U.S. air cargo carriers, and most of all, U.S. consumers, including passengers and shippers,” the document said.

“It would also undermine America’s leadership in international aviation — leadership that has made Open Skies the global template for air services.”

EK3The document was also presented to U.S. officials in Washington by Emirates president Sir Tim Clark.

“The legacy carriers have received more than $100 billion in government support since 2002,” Clark told reporters after his meeting.

“In sum, there is no factual or legal justification for U.S. unilateral action against Emirates,” the document said.

“Such a step by the United States would seriously disadvantage other U.S. stakeholders, sound the death knell for Open Skies, and send a very negative signal about the value of U.S. trade, diplomatic, and security commitments,” the airline warned.

“For these reasons, the legacy carriers’ demands for protection should be firmly rejected.”

Images are courtesy of Emirates.

Boeing marks a 737 milestone

16 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Aircraft, Airlines, Aviation, Boeing, Business, Transport, Travel, United Airlines

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Boeing made history today by delivering the 8,000th 737 — the first commercial airplane to reach that milestone.

The airplane, a Next-Generation 737-900ER featuring a special logo, was delivered to the United Airlines.

“The 737 program continues to innovate with new features and technology, meeting the needs of our customers now and into the future,” said Beverly Wyse, vice-president and general manager of the 737 program.

The special logo

The special logo

“Boeing has a long and treasured history with United Airlines, and we’re proud they’re taking delivery of this milestone airplane.”

The company recalled that United was the first airline to order and take delivery of the 737-200.

“Since 1965, United has taken delivery of more than 550 737s and operated nearly every model,” it said.

Boeing says the 737 program has a backlog with more than 3,700 airplanes on order, including 1,934 orders for the new 737 MAX.

Images are courtesy of Boeing.