top of page
Konrad Tillman

Is United Stretching Their 787 Fleet A Bit Too Far?

Intro


In the past 30 years, we have seen unbelievable development when it comes to the range of what an aircraft can operate. If we think back to 50+ years ago, you would have to stop when crossing the Atlantic. However, we are soon going to be able to have the ability to fly nonstop to the furthest point from a city as Qantas is revolutionizing the market with "Project Sunrise".


United Airlines main ULR aircraft is the 787-9, which frequents their 5 longest routes. It's come to my attention that they might need an aircraft that can operate longer routes, as countless diversions have taken place.


What Do I Mean?


In the wintertime, headwinds become a lot stronger for airlines when flying Westbound. Two flights come to mind when I think about this: UA1/29 to Singapore and UA83 from Delhi. The other day, United Airlines was operating a 787-9 from Delhi to Newark when it was forced to divert to Boston.


UA83 Diversion to Boston

With Russian/Ukrainian airspace closed, this makes this flight more difficult to operate. Judging by the flight map, it looks like United wasn't cleared to enter Turkish airspace, which meant re-routing to the north. Presumably, this took off some of the fuel, which meant the 787-9 really had to stretch if it was going to make it to New York.


This isn't the only route that has had problems in the past, as United is notorious for weight-restricting seats on the SFO-SIN leg. The max range of the 787-9 is just over 8700 miles, while the routing from SFO-SIN is 8800 miles. You have to wonder about the profit margins on a route like this if they have to be weight-restricted during the wintertime.


It's not just United, either. We have seen the Delta service to Johannesburg have plenty of issues in the past as well. This has more to do with Johannesburg, though than the A350...


United Airlines 787-9 Polaris

Final Thoughts


With United Airlines looking to bring back some East Coast to China routes, you have to wonder whether they might need a ULR variant of an aircraft. The 787-9 is a fantastic aircraft, but United is pushing the limit. Then again, I love United, so what can I say😅.



1 view

Comments


Jettoajet full logo
bottom of page