United Airlines is one of the world’s largest carriers by fleet size, with current data from ch-aviation showing that it has a huge portfolio of some 1,052 mainline commercial passenger aircraft at its disposal. The Star Alliance founding member hit the magical 1,000 mark in January of this year, and it hasn’t looked back since, with considerable net growth despite having also retired aircraft earlier in 2025.
As you would likely expect with such a large fleet, there is considerable diversity among United Airlines’ vast collection of mainline aircraft, with both Airbus and Boeing being represented as far as narrowbody twinjets are concerned. All of its widebodies are from Boeing, but this may yet change.
Boeing Widebodies
According to ch-aviation, United Airlines’ widebody operations are split between three US-built twinjet families: the Boeing 767, 777, and 787. The former of these is among its oldest jets, with its 37 767-300ERs and 16 767-400ERs respectively being 29.6 and 24.1 years old on average. United’s 19 777-200s and 55 777-200ERs are also on the older side, with respective mean figures of 28.6 and 25.6 years.
Contrastingly, its 22 777-300ERs aren’t going away any time soon, as their average age is just 7.8 years old. This makes them younger than its 12 787-98s, which are 123 years old on average, but older than its 787-9s and 787-10s, which clock in with respective mean figures of 6.7 and 5.3 years. Going forward, United is hot and cold with its Airbus A350 order, but is upgrading certain 787-9 interiors, as it explains:
“We already deliver a superior international experience and fly to the most places across the Atlantic and Pacific – these new innovations provide a more premium experience overall, give customers even more reasons to choose United, and set our airline up to grow into the next decade and beyond.”
Airbus Narrowbodies
United Airlines’ only current Airbus planes belong to the narrowbody side of its fleet, with both the A320ceo and A320neo families present. At the newer end of the scale, the carrier has 46 stretched-fuselage A321neos at its disposal, as well as orders for 206 more, including 50 A321XLRs.
Meanwhile, the carrier’s first-generation A320ceo family jets are also more than 20 years old on average, with its 81 examples of the short-fuselage A319-100 clocking in at a mean age of 24 years old. According to aeroLOPA, these twinjets have 12 domestic first class and 114 economy seats onboard.
Slightly less numerous in United’s fleet, but offering more overall seats on account of its larger size and higher capacity, is the standard A320-200 model, of which the carrier currently has 73 examples at its disposal with an average age of 25.8 years. These twinjets have 12 first and 138 economy seats.
Boeing Narrowbodies
As well as flying the US manufacturer’s widebodies, United Airlines is also a big fan of the narrowbody portfolio offered by Boeing. Perhaps its most iconic single-aisle twinjets from the company are its 757s, with 40 757-200s and 21 757-300s at its disposal. These comparatively vintage stretched narrowbodies have lots of fans, but high respective average ages of 28.7 and 23.2 years old.
United’s most diverse Boeing narrowbody family is the 737NG, with four variants present. These range in size from the short-fuselage 737-700 (40 units aged 26.2 years on average) to the mid-range 737-800 (141 units aged 21.7 years on average) and the stretched 737-900 (12 units aged 24.1 years on average) and 737-900ER (136 units aged 12.68 years on average). But what does the future hold?
As far as Boeing narrowbodies are concerned, the 737 MAX family will take United forward, with the MAX 9 set to outnumber the 737-900ER. Indeed, while it currently lags behind with a total of 111 aircraft aged three years old on average, there are another 112 units on order. United Airlines also has 123 examples of the 737 MAX 8, aged 2.8 years on average, but doesn’t have any more orders for the type.
Credits: United
