United Airlines Takes Ownership Of Its First 787 Dreamliner

SEATTLE, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines is preparing to fly its first 787 Dreamliner this week from Boeing Field in Seattle to the airline's Houston hub. The aircraft is the first of five new Dreamliners the airline expects to receive this year from its total order for 50 of the aircraft. United is the first North American carrier to take delivery of the 787. The airline took ownership of its first Dreamliner on Saturday.

Jeff Smisek, president and CEO of United, said, "As the North American launch customer, we are delighted to be getting our first 787 Dreamliner. As we continue to build the world's leading airline, we are excited for our customers and co-workers to experience this game-changing aircraft."

United's first Dreamliner is expected to arrive in Houston later this week to begin a month-long training and certification program including non-commercial flights to several of United's domestic hubs. As the initial aircraft are inducted into the fleet, they will be based at United's Houston hub and will enter into previously announced domestic service in November and international service in December. United is planning to operate its inaugural 787 commercial flight from Houston to Chicago Nov. 4 at 7:25 a.m.

Configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 70 seats in United Economy Plus and 113 seats in United Economy, the Dreamliner will revolutionize the flying experience for United customers and crews while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions. Customers will experience greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features.

Recent photos and video of United's first 787 aircraft are available for download in the media center on unitedcontinentalholdings.com.

About United
United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,574 flights a day to 377 airports on six continents from our hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. In 2011, United carried more traffic than any other airline in the world, and operated more than two million flights carrying 142 million passengers. United is upgrading its cabins with more flat-bed seats in first and business class and more extra-legroom economy-class seating than any other airline in North America. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft and has orders for more than 270 new aircraft deliveries through 2022, including 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 25 Airbus A350XWBs, and 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. United was rated the world's most admired airline on FORTUNE magazine's 2012 airline-industry list of the World's Most Admired Companies. Readers of Global Traveler magazine have voted United's MileagePlus program the best frequent flyer program for eight consecutive years. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 27 member airlines. More than 85,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com or follow United on Twitter and Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

SOURCE United Continental Holdings, Inc.