Thread by @WandrMe

The sun is coming up over Newark airport where @united is celebrating its largest aircraft order in history. The massive 270 plane deal will reshape the US market in many ways. And unlike the eVTOL or Supersonic, this one is real.
#UnitedNext #avgeek #paxex

The headline number is 270 new single-aisle planes, and that is massive. But it comes atop an existing order book that now reaches 500 frames. Another 300 will be retired, but these are mostly older 50-seat RJs (~200). The growth planned is hard to fathom.

United will increase its overall seat count by roughly 75,000 with this transition. This is the equivalent of adding the seat capacity of Allegiant, Frontier Airlines, and Spirit Airlines *COMBINED* into the US market. #UnitedNEXT #AvGeek #PaxEx

Check my numbers on the seat count shift, but I'm pretty sure I did the math correctly here. #UnitedNext

First round of analysis is here: paxex.aero/united-new-air….

I haven't even started to dig in to the IFE impact, and that's also going to be massive. But I want to see it in person at the #UnitedNext event today before getting into the details.

We all get "boarding passes" for the #UnitedNext event today. I'm booked to SAN, apparently.

And we're inside the hangar now with the new @united 737 MAX 8. #unitednext

If you don't get a photo inside the airplane engine does it even count as an #avgeek event?? #UnitedNext

CEO Scott Kirby kicking off the formal portion of the #UnitedNext event this morning.

Kirby thanks govt for the billions in aid funding over the past 15 months that, in large part, helped lay the groundwork for the order and retrofit.

"The hard work begins now. We have a great product, but making this an airline customers choose to fly starts now." #UnitedNext

Nocella now speaking. "We're no longer going to fly small aircraft to larger cities." Talking about the new fleet plan and removing 200 of the 50-seat single cabin RJs.#UnitedNext #paxex

Nocella also notes that Summer '22 fleet will have 30 more twin-aisle planes than Summer '19. He's VERY optimistic about the international expansion possible next summer, expects many new routes to be announced, but not today. #UnitedNext

Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist takes the stage. "It is not cheap, but we're going to add screens front to back" on every single aisle mainline plane. Also talks up the "halo effect" of NPS improving on any plane with the IFE available.

#UnitedNext #paxex

In which @AirlineFlyer gets lost in the nose gear wheel well.

Finally got on board the new @united MAX8 and took a look around. Pretty darn nice inside, and the IFE upgrades are stellar. Hear some initial impressions from @AirlineFlyer and me in this quick video on board. #paxex #unitednext

$UAL CFO Laderman, speaking on the sidelines of #UnitedNext re fleet growth: "One of the great things about this order is the flexibility of using aircraft for replacement or for growth. In both cases the cost benefits we get are enormous."
paxex.aero/united-new-air…
#AvGeek