United Airlines: A Look at Their Airbus A319 and A320 Fleet
When it comes to short-haul narrowbody twinjets, most airlines have traditionally relied on two main options: the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 737 family. This trend is set to continue for many years with the increasing popularity of the next-generation A320neo and 737 MAX series. United Airlines, however, has chosen to operate both aircraft types without any discrimination.
In recent years, United Airlines has been focused on modernizing its Airbus narrowbody fleet by acquiring the Airbus A321neo. According to ch-aviation, United already has 37 of these modern jets in its fleet, with an additional 125 on order, including 50 A321XLRs. Despite this, the carrier still operates a significant number of A319-100 and A320-200 aircraft from the older A320ceo series. But which aircraft type came first? Let’s take a look.
The Airbus A320 Won the Race
Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying
In July 1992, United Airlines made history when it announced its plan to lease 50 Airbus A320 aircraft, marking the carrier’s first ever order with Airbus. This was seen as a significant blow to Boeing, as United had previously placed its trust in the US manufacturer. The deal, valued at $2.4 billion, was considered a major win for Airbus in the highly competitive US market. The first A320 was expected to join United’s fleet in November 1993, and historical fleet data from planespotters.net shows that the first three aircraft were delivered in December of that year.
In August 1996, The New York Times reported that United had signed a deal with Airbus to purchase 24 A319 aircraft, valued at $900 million (equivalent to $1.83 billion today). This made United the first US airline to order the A319, with the aircraft intended to replace its aging Boeing 737-200s. Planespotters.net data shows that the first two A319s were delivered in June 1997.
United Airlines’ Airbus A319 and A320 Fleet
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
According to Planespotters.net, United Airlines has operated over 200 A320ceo aircraft over the years, with a nearly even split between the A319-100 and A320-200. Currently, the carrier operates 81 A319s and 76 A320s, according to ch-aviation. These aircraft have an average age of 23.6 years for the A319 and 25.6 years for the A320, making them some of the oldest aircraft in United’s fleet. Despite their age, they are still heavily utilized, with only three A319s and seven A320s listed as inactive due to maintenance.
Of the 19 former A319s that are no longer part of United’s