United Airlines expects enough Airbus A321XLR deliveries for 2027 Europe expansion

By Rajesh Kumar Singh

CHICAGO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - United Airlines said on Tuesday it expects enough Airbus A321XLR deliveries to support its European expansion next summer, as the carrier pushes into smaller markets and sees travel to the region staying strong into the autumn months.

The Chicago-based airline plans to use the long-range, single-aisle jet on five new European routes in 2027, including Luxembourg, Ibiza, Spain, and Toulouse, France. They are part of the largest international expansion in the airline's history, with service to 10 new cities in Europe and Asia.

Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, acknowledged "a few teething issues" with the A321XLR program but said the airline expects to have an adequate number delivered to fly the routes.

"We feel confident that we will have the number of aircraft needed in order to operate the schedule," he told reporters.

Other airlines, including Air Canada, have faced delays in receiving A321XLRs as Airbus has grappled with production and supply-chain constraints.

United ordered the A321XLR in 2019 and plans to begin international service with the aircraft on December 1, 2026, from Washington Dulles to Amsterdam and Dublin.

The A321XLR will also help United phase out its aging Boeing 757 fleet. Quayle said United is phasing out its 757s as the A321XLR jets enter service, and that the fleet plan is continually updated to account for delays at aircraft manufacturers.

Airbus delays, however, have held up the entry into service of United's A321neo Coastliner fleet, planned for premium transcontinental flights.

EUROPE TRAVEL DEMAND STRETCHES INTO AUTUMN

United's expansion comes as the airline sees more European routes remaining viable later in the year.

Quayle said schedules are no longer being cut as sharply after the U.S. Labor Day holiday, with the season extending into October or even November.

"The schedule is not being pulled down as quickly in September as it used to be right after Labor Day," he said.

Air Canada said this month that revenue for September and October is likely to break records for those months as more premium travelers avoid the heat and summer crowds in Europe and Japan.

United said it had seen no decline in European travel this summer because of extreme heat. "Demand is incredibly strong," Quayle said.

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Jamie Freed)