Aircraft
United To Swap Boeing 787 Positions for 777s
Boosts Boeing's prospects for smooth 777X transition
United Airlines has amended its order for 787 Dreamliners to acquire new 777-300ERs. (Photo: United Airlines)
United Airlines has amended its order for 787 Dreamliners to acquire new 777-300ERs. (Photo: United Airlines)

United Airlines has reached an agreement with Boeing to exchange orders for ten 787s with the same number of 777-300ERs as part of a new fleet plan designed to increase the average size and range capabilities of its long-haul airplanes. The deal comes as Boeing aims at a target to sell 60 current-generation 777s a year in an effort to ensure an uninterrupted transition to production of the new 777X in 2018. During the company’s first-quarter earnings conference call on Wednesday, Boeing CEO Jim McNerney said Boeing had collected orders and commitments for twenty-five 777s so far this year, and that the company had sold out all delivery positions for 2016 and roughly half of its positions for 2017.