United Airlines' fleet differentiates legacy and ex-Continental Boeing 777-200ERs by engines

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United Airlines' fleet differentiates legacy and ex-Continental Boeing 777-200ERs by engines

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United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER | Wikimedia

By Sky Industry News

Apr 8, 2025

United Airlines is among the largest global airlines, operating with a fleet of 1,015 aircraft. The airline's aircraft include both narrowbody and widebody planes, with the average fleet age standing at 15.9 years. The widebody segment consists of 225 Boeing-manufactured jets, specifically 96 Boeing 777 aircraft. This fleet comprises 19 Boeing 777-200s, 55 777-200ERs, and 22 777-300ERs. The Boeing 777-200s and 777-200ERs have a combined older lineage, averaging 25.8 years.

United Airlines distinguishes between its legacy 777-200ERs and those acquired from Continental Airlines following their merger. The differentiation lies in the engines powering these aircraft. According to data from ch-aviation, United Airlines operates 33 legacy 777-200ERs and 22 from Continental. The legacy versions are equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, while the ex-Continental versions run on GE Aerospace GE90 engines. Each of the PW4000 engines can generate up to 97,300 lbf at takeoff.

As per Pratt & Whitney, the PW4000 112-inch engine represents "the reliability, experience and Extended-range Twin-engine Operations (ETOPS) leader for the 777 aircraft, providing the best customer value." It boasts service-proven technologies such as single-crystal super alloy materials, contributing to its operational performance and durability.

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Conversely, GE Aerospace's GE90 engine, first launched in 1990, stands out as the company’s inaugural engine generating over 100,000 lbf of thrust. GE states it’s "the most technologically advanced commercial turbofan engine in 25 years."

United Airlines' 777-200ERs also vary in seating configurations based on their operational focus. International configurations, referred to as Type 77E, accommodate 276 seats over four cabins and primarily serve long international routes. According to AeroLOPA, this configuration includes "50J 24W 202M including 46 designated Economy Plus seats and featuring United Polaris seats in Business Class."

Domestic operations employ a different configuration, Type 77O, which contains 362 seats across three cabin sections. This setup facilitates routes within the continental U.S. and Hawaii, sharing features noted on United's narrowbody domestic aircraft.

"United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER (type 77O) is configured 32J 330M for domestic and Hawaii operations. This type includes 124 designated Economy Plus seats," noted AeroLOPA in their assessment.