United Adds 40 Additional Embraer 175 Jets to United Express Fleet

A United Club

United Airlines said it will add 40 Embraer 175 aircraft to its United Express fleet.  The announcement is part of a capacity purchase agreement for SkyWest Airlines, which will operate the new planes under the United Express brand.

SkyWest said Tuesday it will purchase the 40 aircraft, which seat 76 passengers and expects deliveries to take place in 2014 and 2015.  This order is in addition to 30 Embraer 175 aircraft that United previously announced it will purchase for operation by a United Express carrier.   Those planes are also scheduled for delivery in roughly the same timeframe.

The Embraer 175 will be configured with 12 first-class seats, 16 Economy Plus premium-economy seats, and 48 economy seats.  United is promising “an improved travel experience” for passengers thanks to a larger first-class cabin and more spacious overhead bins, said Alex Marren, United’s senior vice president for network operations and United Express.

United plans to remove less efficient regional aircraft from its fleet once the E175s start to arrive.  The new aircraft consume less fuel per seat and have lower CO2 emissions than the outgoing planes.