United Airlines

United Aircraft Corp. acquired mail and passenger service operator Pacific Air Transport on January 1, 1928, marking a significant step in the consolidation of carriers and equipment manufacturers that led to the emergence of United Airlines.

On March 28, 1931, United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC) formed the corporation United Air Lines, Inc. to manage its airline subsidiaries, marking a significant milestone in the company's history.

On the night of October 10, 1933, a United Boeing 247 exploded in mid-air and crashed near Chesterton, Indiana, killing seven people aboard. An investigation revealed that the explosion was caused by a nitroglycerin bomb placed in the baggage hold. The incident is believed to be the first proven case of air sabotage in commercial aviation history. No suspects or motives were ever found.

The Air Mail Act of 1934 banned the common ownership of manufacturers and airlines, leading to the restructuring of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC) into three separate companies, including United Air Lines.

On November 1, 1955, United Airlines Flight 629 was bombed while flying from Stapleton Airport in Denver to Portland, killing all 39 passengers and five crew members on board the Douglas DC-6B. The bomb was planted by Jack Graham, who put the device in his mother's luggage to collect on her life insurance policy. Graham was arrested, tried, and later executed a year after the explosion.

On June 30, 1956, United Flight 718 collided with a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon, resulting in the world's deadliest commercial airline disaster at that time.

On April 21, 1958, United Flight 736 crashed in southern Nevada after colliding with a USAF F-100 Super Sabre fighter jet.

On December 16, 1960, United Flight 826 hit another TWA Super Constellation over New York City.

In June 1961, United merged with Capital Airlines, becoming the world's second largest airline behind Aeroflot of the Soviet Union.

In 1968, United reorganized, creating UAL Corporation with United Airlines as a wholly owned subsidiary.

On December 26, 1973, then-president Richard Nixon flew aboard a United DC-10 flight from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles, conserving fuel by not using the usual Boeing 707 aircraft used for Air Force One.

After years of focused work to bring about deregulation, the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act became law, and United Airlines became a proponent of deregulation.

In 1983, United began flights to Tokyo from Portland and Seattle, gaining its first overseas route.

The decline of Pan American World Airways offered opportunities; in 1991, United purchased Pan Am's routes to London Heathrow Airport. In direct negotiations with the British government, United also obtained rights to fly to Heathrow from Chicago. However, the aftermath of the Gulf War and competition from low-cost carriers led to losses of US$332 million in 1991 and US$957 million in 1992.

In 1993, United Airlines completely revised its branding and livery, introducing a primarily grey and dark blue fuselage with blue stripes on the tail. This 'Battleship' livery aimed to project a more business-like, global image for the rapidly expanding airline.

In 1994, United's pilots, machinists, bag handlers, and non-contract employees agreed to acquire 55% of company stock in exchange for 15% to 25% salary concessions. The Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) made United the largest employee-owned corporation in the world. United used the opportunity to create the low-cost subsidiary Shuttle by United in an attempt to compete with low-cost carriers.

On October 19, 1995, United Airlines Flight 976 experienced a disruptive incident involving an intoxicated investment banker who became disruptive, defecated in the aircraft, and created a security risk. The incident led to the arrest of the disruptive passenger and was later dubbed the worst ever case of air rage.

In 1997, United co-founded the Star Alliance with Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, and Thai Airways.

In May 2000, United Airlines faced a bitter contract dispute with its pilots' union over pay restoration and concessions that were taken to fund the ESOP. The pilots' refusal to work overtime led to the cancellation of numerous flights during the busy summer season.

During the September 11 attacks, two of the four planes hijacked were United Airlines planes. One was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, and the other crashed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the hijackers.

In December 2002, UAL Corporation filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after failing to secure a federal loan guarantee and facing financial crisis triggered by the 9/11 attacks and economic slowdown. This led to drastic cost-cutting measures and workforce reduction.

United Airlines introduced the 'Rising Blue' livery on February 18, 2004, as a fresh start after emerging from bankruptcy protection. The new livery featured a white upper fuselage, lighter shade of blue for the aircraft belly, tail, and engines, and a series of progressively lighter blue lateral stripes.

On December 9, 2004, United Airlines made history by landing a Boeing 747-400 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, marking the first flight by a U.S. airline to the city since the end of the Vietnam War.

United Airlines raised $3 billion in exit financing and filed its Plan of Reorganization on September 7, 2005, as part of its efforts to exit bankruptcy protection.

On February 1, 2006, United Airlines emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, marking the end of the largest and longest airline bankruptcy case in the history of the industry.

On September 8, 2008, the price of UAL shares fell by nearly 99% in fifteen minutes to $0.01 US amid rumors of another bankruptcy, before NASDAQ temporarily halted trading. The rumors were traced to an old story on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel website about the 2002 bankruptcy being picked up by Google News and subsequently presented by Bloomberg LP as a breaking story. The share price subsequently recovered most of its value.

On April 16, 2010, United resumed merger talks with Continental Airlines. The board of directors of both Continental and UAL Corporation reached an agreement to combine operations to create the world's largest airline on May 2, 2010.

On May 3, 2010, it was announced that United and Continental Airlines would merge. The combined airline took the United name but used the Continental Airlines 'globe' identity and livery, designed in 1991 by the Lippincott company.

The merger of United and Continental Airlines was approved in September 2010, and the two companies merged on October 1, 2010.

On August 23, 2011, United Continental Holdings, Inc. announced the conversion to paperless flight decks by deploying 11,000 iPads to all United and Continental pilots. This initiative aimed to replace paper operating manuals, navigation charts, and other materials with iPads, resulting in reduced paper use, printing, and fuel consumption.

On November 7, 2011, United flew the world's first commercial aviation flight using a mix of Solajet, an algae-derived renewable jet fuel, and petroleum-derived jet fuel. This flight was operated by the Eco-Skies Boeing 737-800 aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the use of sustainable biofuels in commercial aviation.

United and Continental received a single operating certificate from the FAA on November 30, 2011, marking a significant milestone in their merger. The merged airline would use Continental's single operating certificate (SOC) under the 'United' name.

On January 15, 2013, United agreed to replace the Blended Winglets on its Boeing Next Generation 737 aircraft with APB's Split Scimitar Winglet (SSW), which was estimated to save the airline more than $250 million annually in fuel costs. This initiative aimed to significantly reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency.

On March 31, 2013, United and Continental merged into a single airline, with Continental becoming the surviving corporate entity and changing its name to United Airlines, Inc. The decision to retain the United name was aimed at preserving the brand equity of pre-merger legacy United Airlines.

On June 30, 2015, United invested US$30 million in Fulcrum BioEnergy, an alternative fuel company, to develop sustainable aviation alternative fuel refineries near its U.S. hubs. This investment aimed to produce over 180 million U.S. gallons of sustainable aviation alternative fuel per year, marking a significant commitment to sustainable aviation fuels.

On March 11, 2016, United became the first airline to fly on commercial-scale quantities of sustainable fuels procured from AltAir Fuels. This initiative aimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 60 percent on a lifecycle basis when compared to traditional jet fuel, marking a significant milestone in sustainable aviation.

On April 9, 2017, a passenger named David Dao was forcibly removed from United Airlines flight 3411, leading to injuries and public backlash. The incident resulted in a lawsuit, an undisclosed settlement, and changes in United's executive compensation and customer satisfaction policies.

On September 2, 2020, United Airlines indicated in a new memo to its employees that they planned to cut 16,370 jobs in nearly a month. The planned involuntary cuts included flight attendants, pilots, management jobs, mechanics, and airport operations, among others.

On September 24, 2020, United Airlines announced the launch of a new COVID-19 testing program for passengers, starting from October 15 of the same year. Initially, the testing was available for passengers traveling to Hawaii from San Francisco International Airport.

In December 2022, United Airlines placed an order for 100 787s to replace the 767s and older 777-200s. The aim is for United Airlines to become the flag carrier of the United States.

Severe weather along the Eastern Seaboard on June 24, 2023, led to an operational crisis for United Airlines, causing delays, cancellations, and diversions affecting at least 150,000 passengers. The CEO initially blamed FAA understaffing, but the Secretary of Transportation pushed back on these claims.