United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) is finalizing an airplane order potentially worth $30 billion U.S. for up to 270 narrow body aircraft.
The order would include up to 200 Boeing 737 MAX and some 70 Airbus A321neo, which competes with the top end of the MAX family aircraft.
The deal could be worth $33 billion U.S. at the most recently published list prices, but analysts say airlines typically pay less than half price for deals of this size. A public announcement about the order is expected on Tuesday (June 29).
The aircraft order would be the industry's biggest since the coronavirus pandemic pummeled air traffic and airline balance sheets, eclipsing recent orders for more than 100 MAX from Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV).
It would accelerate a recovery for the MAX aircraft, which has been logging orders to rebuild momentum damaged by a safety crisis even before COVID-19. However, this large order would not resolve a strategic stalemate which has seen Airbus dominate the busy market for larger single-aisle jets while Boeing relies heavily on demand for its core MAX 8.
United Airlines is considered one of the industry's most influential buyers, whose whopping purchases can set the tone for decades. The deal would come days after the first flight of the 737 MAX 10, the largest member of the MAX family of which United has 100 on order.
