United Airlines Fleet

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United Airlines is a huge company that offers many different types of airline services to different parts of the world. If you are considering working for them, this video can give you some excellent "think" points to consider.

Greater than 850 Aircraft, and that does not include any regional aircraft that work in the united airlines livery or system.

Over half that are narrow body aircraft. Primarily Boeing 757 and Boeing 737 aircraft. United is planning on hiring 5000 more pilots by 2030.

That number may be staggering but consider this first. United will have to be able to train 5000 pilots in that time period. And that is no easy task for any training center. To do that, training centers need to ramp up and gather qualified instructors to plug into their training system. If there is a back log anywhere, things slow down, pilots are not trained and fleets are hamstrung. This is a very real problem and also a good question to ask at an interview.

FAQ's

Hydrogen electric engines. Is this a reality?

It certainly seems like hydrogen electric engines can be made to work in the airline industry. There is a LOT of testing that needs to happen before this becomes reality. Speculation is not reality and the FAA rules the world of that reality. It is an exciting prospect considering the amount of money airlines spend on fuel per year and the effects that those airlines have on the atmosphere.

Will all of this happen in 8 Years?

What most people do not realize is that there is one controlling factor that decides the future of the airline industry timeline, and it is not the order sheet. It is the FAA. If the FAA drags its feet, and they are notorious for that, getting new technology certified has its own time frame. If there is a one small hiccup, and many times with new designs, then the process can take even longer.

What aircraft are most pilots wanting to fly?

Generally most pilots want to fly the wide body jets. One reason is the nostalgia of it, and the other is the pay. Widebody jets tend to have more seats and pilot pay is based on how many seats the aircraft holds.

How diverse is the United fleet?

Compared to the other major legacy airlines, it is very diverse and gives a lot of choices for anyone pursuing a pilot position.

Which one is the most fun to fly?

Your mileage may vary. Some pilots love automation and some love to kick off the autopilot and hand fly. At this level, most pilots are in it for the career advancement and pay. New hire pilots are assigned a jet type in their new hire class, so there is not a whole lot of choices when you are new.

Will the economy be able to support ticket price increases due to the prices of these new planes?

That is the eternal mystery. What the economy does certainly drives the airline market and travel demand. We have seen that pandemics and the passenger perception to wearing masks certainly has an impact as well. Where the inflation rate is, what the reduced airline schedules look like (due to employee shortages) are all factors.