In a Blow for Boeing, United Airlines Order 50 Airbus Planes

New York (dpa) - US carrier United Airlines has ordered 50 new long-haul jets from European manufacturer Airbus, in a blow to US competitor Boeing.

United Airlines will being retiring its existing fleet of Boeing 757-200 aircraft and replacing them with new Airbus A321XLR planes, which they will begin taking delivery of in 2024, the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.

The purchase could cost as much as 7 billion dollars, but bulk buying often gets airlines hefty discounts, Bloomberg reported.

It will defer the delivery of an order of Airbus A350s until 2027.

Airbus had already received an order for more than 50 A321XLR models from American Airlines.

The long-haul version of the A321neo from Airbus should be able to travel 8,700 kilometres, which would cover flights from Europe to North America or India.

The jet also uses 30 per cent less fuel than the Boeing 757s that are often used for long-haul stretches.

Boeing has struggled to compete with its rival Airbus since the grounding of its 737 MAX aircraft after two high-profile deadly crashes.

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