UNITED AIRLINES has ordered its first long-range Airbus SE A321neo jets, dealing a new setback to Boeing, as the US planemaker struggles through the grounding of its 737 Max and weathers a storm of criticism.
The carrier said it would take 50 of Airbus's A321XLR jets, with deliveries to begin in 2024 - a year after the model's planned debut, reported Bloomberg. Valued at US$7.1 billion before customary discounts, the order expands the US foothold of a single-aisle variant capable of handling North Atlantic routes.
United plans to start replacing its Boeing 757-200 jets with the XLR, the jet closest to the US manufacturer's aging model, which went out of production about 15 years ago.
Boeing has postponed deciding whether to develop the 'new midmarket airplane' or NMA, a new plane of comparable size while it attempts to end the grounding of its workhorse Max, which was banned from the skies in March after two deadly crashes.
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways have already ordered Airbus's XLR. The European aerospace giant launched the model, its longest-range single-aisle aircraft, in June at the Paris Air Show.
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The carrier said it would take 50 of Airbus's A321XLR jets, with deliveries to begin in 2024 - a year after the model's planned debut, reported Bloomberg. Valued at US$7.1 billion before customary discounts, the order expands the US foothold of a single-aisle variant capable of handling North Atlantic routes.
United plans to start replacing its Boeing 757-200 jets with the XLR, the jet closest to the US manufacturer's aging model, which went out of production about 15 years ago.
Boeing has postponed deciding whether to develop the 'new midmarket airplane' or NMA, a new plane of comparable size while it attempts to end the grounding of its workhorse Max, which was banned from the skies in March after two deadly crashes.
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways have already ordered Airbus's XLR. The European aerospace giant launched the model, its longest-range single-aisle aircraft, in June at the Paris Air Show.
WORLD SHIPPING