United Airlines has increased the number of Airbus A350 XWBs it will bring to its fleet and changed which variant it wants.

The A350s will replace older, less efficient aircraft, and United Airlines has changed its order from 35 A350-1000s to 45 A350-900s.

The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines, which improve operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs.

United Airlines chief financial officer, Andrew Levy says: “For the past year, United has done a complete review to ensure that we have the right long-term fleet strategy, and it was clear that the A350 aligns with our replacement needs and our network.”

He adds: “The combination of the range performance and efficiencies make the A350 an attractive aircraft for United.”

Airbus chief operating officer – customers, John Leahy says: “The airline’s decision to grow its widebody fleet with, for the first time, a widebody model from Airbus, shows they know that the A350 will meet their financial and performance demands.”