United Airlines
UA · UALUnited Airlines carries about 183.9M passengers a year on 1,058 aircraft, the 3rd-largest US airline by passengers flown. Its busiest airport is Denver.
Passengers flown a year
183.9M
#3 US airline by passengers
1,058
aircraft
480
nonstop destinations
74
countries served
15.7 yr
average fleet age
79.0%
arrivals on time
82.8%
load factor
Market position
United Airlines flew 19.0% 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
1,729,226
12 months to May 2026
Seats flown
226,430,459
Passengers
183.9M
Load factor
82.8%
RPM ÷ ASM
Busiest United Airlines routes
20 flights a day · 1,559,929 passengers
90.1%
full
21 flights a day · 1,419,596 passengers
87.7%
full
19 flights a day · 1,389,266 passengers
88.6%
full
23 flights a day · 1,371,070 passengers
86.9%
full
21 flights a day · 1,366,600 passengers
85.3%
full
20 flights a day · 1,349,939 passengers
85.4%
full
25 flights a day · 1,257,915 passengers
84.4%
full
22 flights a day · 1,226,199 passengers
82.3%
full
Bars are seats added or cut; the figure is the percentage. Comparing June 2025–May 2026 against June 2024–May 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
34.7M34,715,928 passengers · 83.3% on time
74%
of airport
83.3%
on time
- EWR
Newark
31.9M31,872,639 passengers · 77.7% on time
68%
of airport
77.7%
on time
- IAD
Dulles
18.4M18,380,332 passengers · 84.6% on time
67%
of airport
84.6%
on time
- SFO
San Francisco
26.9M26,852,609 passengers · 73.6% on time
50%
of airport
73.6%
on time
- DEN
Denver
40.6M40,559,978 passengers · 82.3% on time
50%
of airport
82.3%
on time
- ORD
Chicago
39.8M39,821,278 passengers · 75.0% on time
47%
of airport
75.0%
on time
- LAX
Los Angeles
12.6M12,590,476 passengers · 82.4% on time
17%
of airport
82.4%
on time
- LAS
Las Vegas
4.3M4,336,863 passengers · 81.3% on time
8%
of airport
81.3%
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 | 22.5 yr |
| Boeing 737-900ER | 136 | 13.5 yr |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 123 | 3.2 yr |
| Boeing 737 MAX 9 | 120 | 3.6 yr |
| Airbus A319 | 76 | 20.4 yr |
| Boeing 777-200 | 74 | 26.8 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% on-time rate across 810.3K arrivals over the trailing 12 months.
Every 100 flights
16 min
average delay
8,273
flights cancelled
810.3K
arrivals measured
What holds flights up
Share of delay minutes
On time, month by month
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
M
J
Darker is better · 69.6%–84.2%
The weak spot is July 2025, when 69.6% of arrivals landed on time — 9.4 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% 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 183.9M 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 50% of all passengers.
How many destinations does United Airlines fly to?
United Airlines serves about 480 nonstop destinations in 74 countries.
How reliable is United Airlines?
About 79.0% 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.