United Airlines changes original 737-700 order for 737-800 and 737 MAX aircraft

United Airlines announced (15-Nov-2016) a modification to its narrowbody order book, converting its original order for 65 Boeing 737-700 aircraft into four 737-800 aircraft to be delivered in 2017. The carrier converted the remaining 61 into orders for 737 MAX aircraft, with delivery dates to be determined. These changes will allow United to take advantage of the MAX aircraft's fuel efficiency while also reducing capital expenditures by approximately USD1.6 billion through 2018. The carrier has also agreed to purchase 24 Embraer 175 aircraft from Embraer, instead of leasing these aircraft through a capacity purchase agreement as was originally planned. United's CFO and EVP Andrew Levy stated: "The realignment of our order book shifts our focus to ensuring our capital investments support earnings growth. We will continue to look at profitable opportunities in the new and used aircraft market to generate the highest ROIC." [more - original PR]