United Works to Increase Efficiency

As United Airlines exits Chapter 11 bankrupcy protection, it has announced plans to implement an efficiency program.  "By using our assets more efficiently, we can increase our departures without adding more aircraft to the fleet," says United chief operating officer Peter McDonald.

United plans to reduce its 61 minute average turnaround time by 8 minutes. That will free up at least 10 aircraft this year, according to the carrier, and also allow United gates to handle more aircraft.  Quick turnaround has over the years been one of the keys to Southwest Airlines’ efficiency and cost-effective operation.

United spent three years in bankruptcy protection and says that during this time it reduced its average annual costs by about $7 billion.