United Airlines
UA · UALUnited Airlines carries about 185.1M passengers a year on 1,058 aircraft, the 3rd-largest US airline by passengers flown. Its busiest airport is Denver.
Passengers flown a year
185.1M
#3 US airline by passengers
1,058
aircraft
490
nonstop destinations
75
countries served
15.7 yr
average fleet age
79.3%
arrivals on time
82.8%
load factor
Market position
United Airlines flew 19.2% of all US passengers over the past year — the 3rd-largest share of any carrier.
Share of all US passengers flown · each carrier a slice of the market
Where United Airlines flies
What United Airlines actually flew — departures, seats, and passengers filed with the US DOT, the live complement to the fleet it owns.
Departures
1,740,841
12 months to July 2026
Seats flown
228,308,484
Passengers
185.1M
Load factor
82.8%
RPM ÷ ASM
Busiest United Airlines routes
21 flights a day · 1,585,983 passengers
89.8%
full
21 flights a day · 1,437,612 passengers
87.2%
full
19 flights a day · 1,400,344 passengers
89.1%
full
24 flights a day · 1,386,059 passengers
86.4%
full
21 flights a day · 1,362,011 passengers
84.5%
full
21 flights a day · 1,356,518 passengers
85.2%
full
22 flights a day · 1,249,077 passengers
82.2%
full
24 flights a day · 1,243,175 passengers
83.9%
full
Bars are seats added or cut; the figure is the percentage. Comparing August 2025–July 2026 against August 2024–July 2025. Routes the airline started or dropped mid-year are left out — a percentage between a partial year and a full one measures whether the route existed, not how its capacity changed.
Where United Airlines dominates
United Airlines carries a commanding share of the passengers at its fortress hubs — a clearer read on its power than raw fleet size. Share is of every carrier's passengers at that airport, including its regional feeders; on time is that hub's own arrival rate.
- IAH
Houston
34.8M34,795,396 passengers · 83.7% on time
75%
of airport
83.7%
on time
- EWR
Newark
32.3M32,278,232 passengers · 78.1% on time
69%
of airport
78.1%
on time
- IAD
Dulles
18.4M18,368,922 passengers · 85.1% on time
67%
of airport
85.1%
on time
- SFO
San Francisco
26.9M26,945,125 passengers · 72.2% on time
51%
of airport
72.2%
on time
- DEN
Denver
40.7M40,688,797 passengers · 83.1% on time
51%
of airport
83.1%
on time
- ORD
Chicago
40.5M40,471,106 passengers · 75.4% on time
48%
of airport
75.4%
on time
- LAX
Los Angeles
12.7M12,683,409 passengers · 82.6% on time
18%
of airport
82.6%
on time
- LAS
Las Vegas
4.4M4,353,853 passengers · 81.7% on time
9%
of airport
81.7%
on time
The fleet
United Airlines reports 1,058 airframes across 18 types, averaging 15.7 yr. Click through for every tail number, its delivery date and age.
- In the filing
- 1,0581,058 in service · 0 stored
- Average age
- 15.7 yrAcross 1,058 dated airframes
- Types operated
- 18Largest: Boeing 737-800
78% narrowbody · 22% widebody · by aircraft
| Type | Count | Avg age |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | 141 | 22.4 yr |
| Boeing 737-900ER | 136 | 13.6 yr |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 123 | 3.3 yr |
| Boeing 737 MAX 9 | 120 | 3.7 yr |
| Airbus A319 | 76 | 20.5 yr |
| Boeing 777-200 | 74 | 26.9 yr |
On-time performance
Of every 100 United Airlines flights, 79 touch down within 15 minutes of schedule, 20 arrive late, and 1 is cancelled. That is a 79.3% on-time rate across 814.7K arrivals over the trailing 12 months.
Every 100 flights
16 min
average delay
8,510
flights cancelled
814.7K
arrivals measured
What holds flights up
Share of delay minutes
On time, month by month
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
Darker is better · 73.4%–84.2%
The weak spot is July 2026, when 73.4% of arrivals landed on time — 5.9 points below the year. The strongest was February 2026 at 84.2%.
On time vs. peers
Bars scaled to the best performer, not to zero
United Airlines lands 79.3% of its arrivals on time — 1 of 3 peers do better.
Frequently asked
How big is United Airlines's fleet?
United Airlines reports a fleet of about 1,058 aircraft across 18 types, with an average age of 15.7 yr.
How many passengers does United Airlines carry a year?
United Airlines carries about 185.1M passengers a year, the 3rd-largest US airline by passengers flown.
What is United Airlines's biggest hub?
United Airlines's busiest airport is Denver, where it flies about 51% of all passengers.
How many destinations does United Airlines fly to?
United Airlines serves about 490 nonstop destinations in 75 countries.
How reliable is United Airlines?
About 79.3% of United Airlines flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule over the trailing 12 months, per US DOT figures.
Trip reports on YouTube
Fliers post trip reports from United Airlines flights to YouTube. These three were matched automatically from public YouTube listings — The Frequent Flier does not host, review, or endorse them.
Noel Philips
17 HOURS on United Airlines’ Longest Route – Was It Worth It?
23:59 · May 2025
Jeb Brooks
United Airlines 767-400 First Class from Honolulu to Washington Dulles
15:58 · Aug 2021
LedKod
I Tested United Airlines Domestic First Class — Was It Worth It?
12:31 · Jul 2025
Source: YouTube. Titles, thumbnails, and channel names come from YouTube. Playing a video loads the YouTube player, and using it means you agree to the YouTube Terms of Service; the Google Privacy Policy applies.