Airline Profile: United Airlines
One of the world's largest airlines, United Airlines operates daily scheduled passenger and cargo services on a route network that spans the world from its Chicago O’Hare Airport base and five other U.S. hubs.
The network serves over one hundred destinations in the U.S. and over forty destinations in the rest of the Americas, Europe, Asia and Southwest Pacific.
Six regional airlines operate for the airline under the United Express banner, serving over 150 destinations in the U.S. and Canada. Ted is a low cost subsidiary.
History
United Airlines is able to trace its history back to the foundation, on 6 April 1926 of Varney Airlines. The company came together with Boeing Air Transport, Pacific Air Transport and National Air Transport to establish United Air Lines in July 1931, as the management company of the four pioneer airlines. Initial operations provided air mail services for the U.S. Post Office Department, using Boeing 247s.
United took over Capital Airlines (established 1945) on 1 June 1961 and was renamed United Airlines on 9 September 1974.
United took over Pan American’s operations in the Pacific (1985), Europe (1990), the Caribbean (1992) and South America (1992).
A low cost domestic division, Shuttle by United was established on the US west coast in 1993 and expanded its coverage before being discontinued in 2001.
A founder member of the Star Alliance with Air Canada, Lufthansa, SAS and Thai in May 1997, the airline is the principal subsidiary of the UAL Corporation, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 9 December 2002.
A new low cost division was established at Denver in February 2004 under the Ted brand. United exited bankruptcy protection on 1 February 2006 and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange the following day.
Fleet
- 119x Airbus A320 family aircraft
- 38x Boeing 737
- 27x Boeing 747
- 97x Boeing 757
- 35x Boeing 767
- 52x Boeing 777
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