United Airlines adds its first Boeing 767-300 with Blended Winglets and new interior

United Airlines (Chicago) has added its first Boeing 767-300 with Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglets.

On June 20, 2011 Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) announced that United Continental Holdings Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, had ordered Blended Winglets for its 767-300 ERs. Initial installations of the systems, on 14 aircraft, were planned to commence in 2012. With this order, United Continental Holdings becomes APB’s largest single customer having ordered more than 375 Blended Winglet systems to date.

United Airlines or Continental Airlines has either been the launch customer for, or otherwise ordered, Blended Winglets for every Boeing commercial aircraft type that APB has certified its product for – in chronological order this includes the: 757-200; 737-800; 737-700; 737-900; 737-900 ER; 737-500; 737-300; 757-300 and now the 767-300 ER. APB estimates that United Continental’s investment in Blended Winglets is now saving the airline approximately $200 million per year in jet fuel costs.

Blended Winglet technology installed on a 767-300 ER reduces fuel burn by up to 500,000 gallons per aircraft per year while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 5,000 tons per year. In addition, 767-300 ER Blended Winglets can extend the range of the aircraft by as much as 320 nautical miles, or increase the payload of the aircraft by as much as 16,000 pounds. Since certification in 2009, APB has taken orders (firm and options) for over 340 767-300 ER Blended Winglet systems.

United Airlines today (June 11) introduced N674UA into international service with its newly reconfigured interior, with this evening’s departure of flight UA 908 from Chicago (O’Hare) to Amsterdam. The aircraft now features flat-bed seats in an all-new United BusinessFirst cabin, along with an upgraded inflight entertainment system throughout.

The aircraft is the first of 14 to get the new interior, offering 30 seats in United BusinessFirst, 49 in Economy Plus and 135 in Economy. In addition to flat-bed seats, United BusinessFirst offers a 15.4″ touchscreen monitor delivering on-demand inflight audio/video content, electrical and USB outlets for charging electronic devices, an iPod jack enabling customers to play content from their iPod-compatible devices and a five-course meal with fine wines. United Economy Plus seats provide more legroom and more recline than Economy seats. Each Economy Plus and Economy seat features a 9″ touchscreen on-demand, inflight entertainment system and all Economy rows have access to electrical outlets. On long-haul international flights, United offers Economy Plus and Economy customers complimentary food, soft drinks, juices, tea and coffee.

Top Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin. Boeing 767-322 ER N674UA (msn 29242) arrives at the San Francisco hub on June 10, 2012 as flight UA 499 from the Chicago (O’Hare) hub.

Bottom Copyright Photo: United.

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