United Air Lines, Inc., (NYSE: UAL), operating as United Airlines, is a major U.S. airline and is also the world's largest airline by number of destinations and scheduled passenger-kilometer flown. United employs 86,852 people. It is a subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, formerly UAL Corporation, with corporate headquarters in Chicago. United's largest hub is George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. United is a founding member of the Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world, and offers connections to over 1,000 destinations in over 170 countries worldwide. The airline's regional service is United Express.
United was founded in 1926 as Varney Air Lines, becoming Boeing Air Transport in 1927 when it was purchased by aircraft manufacturer Boeing. United became an independent company in 1934 and merged with Capital Airlines in 1961. In 2011, United merged with Continental Airlines, replacing its own tulip logo with Continental's globe logo as well as their aircraft livery. The airline operates 705 aircraft, consisting of single-aisle Airbus A320 family Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft; widebody Boeing 767, 777, and 787 aircraft; and the Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The airline has single-aisle Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on order as well as the widebody Airbus A350.
Read more about United Airlines: History, Predecessors, Destinations, Cabin, Incidents and Accidents
Famous quotes containing the word united:
“The rising power of the United States in world affairs ... requires, not a more compliant press, but a relentless barrage of facts and criticism.... Our job in this age, as I see it, is not to serve as cheerleaders for our side in the present world struggle but to help the largest possible number of people to see the realities of the changing and convulsive world in which American policy must operate.”
—James Reston (b. 1909)