757 PROBLEM - United's Fleet Decision

foreign is pushing for 30 000 subscribers and with 70 of you not subscribed feel free to join up if you enjoy the content so I've got a question for you have you ever had something that you've cherished but it did need replacing but the thing is you've simply been unable to find the perfect replacement for whatever reason maybe the item just simply isn't out there their answer is most likely yes and you wouldn't be alone primary us-based carrier United Airlines is going through something very similar now with their 757s let's begin this analysis by understanding the importance of the Boeing 757 within the United Airlines Fleet to this day in 2023 there are still 34 757-200s in service at United with 6 in storage meaning 40 remain listed to the airline's name and this is backed up with a further 21 757-300s the higher capacity variant of the series as such with over over 6757s to its name still in 2023 it is one of the largest operators of the type alongside Delta and therefore the kind plays a very integral role in its day-to-day flying replacing it sees serious question marks surrounding so just how a United Airlines planning on making that all-important decision to phase the type out which inevitably has to happen at some point as these planes are only getting older while some decisions have been made already it's not ones that may be they're so happy with and in an ideal world would have perhaps made significant changes based on plane makers making different decisions and that they did it's a problem that they don't want to have but they've got no choice many years ago the airline placed an order for the Airbus a321 XLR and a move that indicated it would begin looking towards phasing out aircraft with the impeding arrival of the new extra long-ranged variant slated for a 2024 entry into service thanks to this acquisition the 757 was listed among types that would partially be removed United said acquiring such a plane would strengthen its operations by making them more efficient on a whole while also the extra long range capabilities would open up new possibilities that weren't previously possible when it comes to root development with some exciting availability there while highlighting also just how Farm manufacturers have come thanks to advancements in technology however even with this commitment which was a sizable one during the launch week of the variant there was much hesitation around whether it would genuinely replace the 757s in an adequate manner United has and remains a very big advocate for Boeing's potential nma which I'll explore in due course so switching to Airbus was a big decision in this sector still it highlighted at the time a realization that Boeing would likely not be moving ahead with an option and as a significant U.S airline there's frankly only so long you can really go before making a commitment as you need to secure delivery slot you need to phase out older aircraft and you need to continue adapting to the market of risk of falling behind away from the XLR and back to Boeing the 737 Max is also set to play a very fundamental role in Boeing's future Fleet across multiple variants one variant yet to fly with customers let alone with United Airlines is the dash 10 which is the largest and highest capacity in the series talks over a premium configuration for cities-10s would mean it could eventually replace the 757-200s on transcontinental routes alongside potential to grow that to other destinations with the xlrs definitely being focused on the European operations the 757-300s though can seat 234 passengers Which is higher than the dash 200 in a narrow body configuration this is a Workhorse and a pocket rocket and it makes it hard to replace to a certain extent even with the 737-10 and the a321 xlrs the 757-300 is very much a gray area the company has yet to really find the perfect way to replace this variant regardless of offers and commitments of aircraft in place including those Mammoth ones for say the Boeing 787 series they'll always really struggle to replace the 757s in an ideal manner why well according to United Airlines put very plain and simple it's because of the lack of nma which is the proposed middle of the market airliner that was heavily rumored and discussed to come from Boeing it would slot into you guessed it the middle of the market compete alongside some of the newly launched a321 extension variants and be the perfect replacement to the iconic 757 while also helping Airlines phase out 767s ultimately it amassed a lot of interest and you even had companies such as the Elise Corporation expressing their intent to order hundreds if Boeing went ahead and made it slowly but surely though with no sign of the aircraft Airlines really stopped waiting and went with with any possible alternative which maybe wasn't the best replacement but was the only thing on the market for them and they had to act like I mentioned earlier if you're a major airline or an airline in a niche and facing competition you need to make sure you're keeping up with your competitors and also ensuring that your finances are in a stable position therefore maybe keeping on older aircraft longer than you would want in the hopes of this new plane releasing isn't a viable business decision in some cases Boeing has actually lost customers to European plane maker Airbus a realization that's kicked in in recent years the final nail in the coffin to the Boeing nma story came last year when discussions ceased with comments from critical Executives saying that they would put such a plane on the back burner instead favoring returning to the drawing board at some time in the early 2030s when they believe that technology then on planes will have substantially changed they'll then be able to move forward with a plane that is truly worthy of an upgrade an order and also a revolutionary aircraft that fits in with Boeing's business there are a couple of issues with that there's also some great opportunities with that too and I want to cover that in its own video but put very simply some believe it's a risk worth taking and others believe Boeing actually had no choice as they missed the boat for this middle of the market either way with no anime for the moment some Airlines such as United are left with what was described by reputable flight Global as an imperfect Fleet no matter which way they go it will never be what they want and I don't think that United are alone per my sources at Delta who are another primary us carrier alongside United they're struggling with the proposition that there also won't be a genuine 757 replacement from Boeing while they have orders placed for the Max and extensively will fly a 321 neo-variance they don't believe that these planes are still that adequate replacements for the 757 yes they'll do but they're not truly what they want the current aircraft are ones that are yet to enter service on offer according to Delta just don't have the same capabilities as the 757s and therefore are never going to be the perfect viable option it is a theme that I've highlighted throughout this video and it's going to be a consistent problem for some operators but with no aircraft coming from Boeing they've got to find ways to adapt find Solutions and move head and for some that is the 737-10 for some that's the a321 series and for others it's maybe the 7878 who knows maybe the plane arriving in the 2030s will be that all-important Solution by then though for Airlines like United Airlines Delta and many more they'll have already had to have made those harsh decisions for the greater good of their broader operations what are your thoughts on this 757 problem while the case study today was on United Airlines the same could be said for Delta and other operators that are eyeing up a certain aircraft that just doesn't really exist as a replacement thank you very much for your support here on globetrotting apologies for the lack of inactivity myself Dan who runs the channel and makes these videos I've been pretty sick lately with the flu and struggling to make content but I'll do my best to continue the uploads as often as I can and I appreciate you tuning in whenever you do take care be safe and I'll see you in a couple of days for more analysis on the industry flights [Music] [Music]

Channel: GlobeTrotting at Dj's Aviation

Views: 93,825

Keywords: aviation, airline, airport, globetrotting, dj's aviation, avgeek, airbus, boeing, daily dose of aviation, aviation analysis, aircraft analysis, planespotting, planes, aircraft

Id: mRN2oJmtTpM

Length: 9min 2sec (542 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 14 2023