United orders 737s while trans-Atlantic narrowbody replacement remains elusive

United's selection of Boeing to supply 737 aircraft to replace a portion of its narrowbody fleet is by no means shocking, and was expected given the deep and long-standing ties Continental management has with the US airframer. Post-merger, United's top management is dominated by former Continental executives that laud Boeing products while giving polite lip service to the Airbus aircraft they inherited as part of the tie-up.

United's decision to order 100 737 MAX 9s is an obvious boost to Boeing's re-engined 737 MAX programme while its decision to also order 50 additional 737-900ERs expands the footprint of the 737-900ER, which started off as a slow seller but has gained traction during the last couple of years - most recently through a 100 aircraft order in 2011 from United's rival Delta. While United's endorsement for the MAX timing capped off a successful week for Boeing at the 2012 Farnborough Air Show, the reality is the deal is nothing more than a business decision to replace aging assets with new technology and to improve operational efficiency.