United Airlines capped off a profitable year with its busiest three-day flight ever in December, at the height of North America's winter travel season.
Chicago-based United Airlines on Jan. 21 reported higher revenue in its premium, corporate and economy segments for the October-December period compared to the same period last year, and fourth-quarter profit and passenger numbers also rose. The company announced that it had set a record.
“United Airlines has a unique strategy for navigating the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring our employees are committed to serving customers and driving structural and lasting changes to our industry,” said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines. We were connected,” he said. “2024 was a strong year overall.”
In fact, the company appears to be firing on all cylinders, with nearly every operating statistic trending positively compared to the same period last year, including passenger load, capacity, and revenue passenger miles (RPM).
United Airlines' fourth-quarter results show that fellow major U.S. carriers American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have lagged behind, while the “big two” Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have been profitable. is taking over.
United Airlines bills itself as “the world's leading airline,” but it was unable to overtake Delta Air Lines in terms of profitability last year. The Star Alliance airline reported full-year profit of $3.1 billion, up 64% from $2.6 billion in 2023.
Delta Air Lines, the first U.S. airline to report fourth-quarter results, said its international business was boosted by better-than-expected demand, while strong premium performance led to full-year profit of $3.5 billion in 2023. He said it was down from $1 billion.
United Airlines' revenue from international operations increased nearly 9% year over year, with particularly strong growth in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
Notably, United Airlines' cargo division generated approximately 30% more revenue compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.
The company ended the quarter with 1,406 aircraft across its fleet, an increase of more than 3% from the 1,358 aircraft it operated as of December 31, 2023.
American Airlines will report its fourth quarter and full-year results on January 23rd, and Southwest Airlines will report on January 30th.
