Why United's big bet on travel is a big risk

United Airlines
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

United Airlines has unveiled its biggest airplane order ever, making a major bet on a full return of business and international travel.

The company on Tuesday announced it's purchasing 270 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which it said was "the largest combined order in the airline's history and the biggest by an individual carrier in the last decade." United CEO Scott Kirby said that "everything we see, every day, tells us that business and international travel will ultimately come back 100 percent" after the airline industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, Axios reports. According to The New York Times, with existing orders, United will now be adding over 500 planes to its fleet, though "about 300 of the new planes will replace smaller jets."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.