20 Remarkable United Airlines Statistics [2023]: Passengers, Revenue, And United Airlines Facts - Zippia (2024)

Research Summary. Airliners all over the world suffered heavy setbacks at the height of the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, and United Airlines was no different. However, as one of the largest airliners in the U.S., the company is slowly starting to recover. According to our extensive research, here are some incredible United Airlines facts:

• United Airlines had 69.4 million passengers in 2021.

• United Airlines has 92,795 employees as of 2022.

• United Airlines operates 866 total aircraft.

• United Airlines’ annual revenue in 2022 was $44.95 billion.

• United Airlines carried 5.5 million passengers during the Thanksgiving travel period in 2022.

For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
Flights and Destinations | Passengers | Company Stats | Trends

United Airlines Statistics by Flights and Destinations

Like many American airliners, United Airlines makes a large profit off domestic and foreign flights. Overall, here are some interesting facts about United Airlines’ various flights and destinations:

• United Airlines flies to over 330 domestic and international locations.

  United Airlines has 210 U.S. destinations and 120 international destinations available to consumers. That means anybody can fly to a major city in any U.S. state using the airline, as well as most countries around the world.

  Some of United’s top-flight destinations include Boston, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

• United Airlines flies to 74 different countries.

  Common destinations in other countries include Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Brussels (Belgium), Rome (Italy), and many more. Overall, United Airlines flies to most countries in Europe, Asia, and South America, with some transit gaps in Africa.

• There are an average of 4,900 United Airlines flights per day.

  These planes travel across five to six different continents and land in up to 362 airports, depending on the day. This number was also a significant recovery from 2021, when there was only an average of 3,500 flights per day.

• Around 80% of United Airlines flights are on time.

  In recent years, approximately 19.3% of United Airlines flights have been delayed, while 0.9% were outright canceled. That means there’s a one-fifth chance your United Airlines flight will be delayed at any time.

United Airlines Statistics by Passengers

United Airlines wouldn’t have so many flights flying to hundreds of destinations around the clock if there weren’t willing passengers. From frequent flying businessmen to a family unit heading to their next vacation destination, our extensive research shows that:

• United Airlines’ passenger load factor is 87.3%, as of 2022.

  This is a significant increase from the 60.2% occupancy rate the airliner had in 2020 (caused by COVID-19 restrictions and safety measures). This is the highest it has been in several year and solidly beating analyst expectations.

  United Airlines’ Passenger Load Factor Each Year

  Year	Passenger Load Factor
  2022	87.3%
  2021	72.2%
  2020	60.2%
  2019	84.0%
  2018	83.6%
  2017	82.4%
  2016	82.9%
  2015	83.4%
  2014	83.6%
  2013	83.8%
  2012	82.9%
  2011	82.8%

• United Airlines has over 100 million loyalty program members.

  United Airlines has a $20 billion loyalty program with roughly $5.3 billion in cash flow from sales. Overall, this loyalty program has four levels (Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K.), all with different benefits.

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• United Airlines had 3.2 billion cargo revenue ton-miles in 2021.

  In 2021, all U.S. commercial air carriers had 46.26 billion cargo revenue ton-miles. That means United Airlines makes up 7% of all U.S. commercial cargo revenue ton-miles.

United Airlines Company Statistics

While its clear United Airlines is a large and successful airline, we’ve yet to analyze how it compares to other U.S. airline companies. Doing so can be important to gauge where United Airlines stands in the U.S. market. Overall, here are the facts:

• When it comes to domestic flights, United Airlines has a 12.9% market share.

  In this context, United Airlines is the fourth largest airliner in the United States, behind American Airlines (19.5%), Southwest Airlines (17.4%), and Delta Air Lines (16.3%).

  

• United Airlines has a net worth of $13.53 billion as of 2023.

  After plummeting to a net worth of $6.09 billion in March of 2020, United Airlines has slowly begun to recover. However, the company still hasn’t gotten close to reaching its 2019 net worth of $24.18 billion.

• United Airlines is currently ranked 200 on the Fortune 500 list.

  While it is impressive to be on the list at all, this number is a far cry from the United’s position prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Instead, in 2019, United Airlines was ranked 76 on the list.

United Airlines Trends

Despite the impact of the Pandemic, United Airlines has still been in business. However, that doesn’t mean the company hasn’t faced the prospect of bankruptcy over the years. To understand the current state of United Airlines, here are some interesting insights our research uncovered:

• Between 2019-2020, United Airlines’ passenger load factor decreased by 28.3%.

• United Airlines had 69.4 million passengers in 2021, split between 58.8 million domestic and 10.6 million international travelers.

  Total Number of Domestic and International Passengers for United Airlines (2002-2022)

  Year	Domestic	International	Total
  2022	N/A	N/A	N/A
  2021	58.8M	10.6M	69.4M
  2020	29.9M	7.9M	37.8M
  2019	87.4M	28.7M	116.2M
  2018	85.9M	27.2M	113.1M
  2017	80.4M	26.6M	107.0M
  2016	73.8M	25.9M	99.8M
  2015	69.2M	25.7M	94.9M
  2014	64.6M	25.2M	89.9M
  2013	65.1M	24.2M	89.3M
  2012	67.5M	23.9M	91.5M
  2011	39.5M	10.1M	49.6M
  2010	43.3M	9.7M	53.0M
  2009	45.6M	9.5M	55.1M
  2008	51.6M	11.6M	62.3M
  2007	56.4M	11.0M	67.4M
  2006	57.2M	10.8M	67.9M
  2005	55.1M	10.3M	65.5M
  2004	60.1M	9.5M	69.5M
  2003	56.3M	8.5M	64.8M
  2002	57.8M	9.5M	67.3M

• Between 2019-2020, the total number of United Airlines passengers fell by 67.5%. However, from 2020-2021, the number of passengers also increased by 83.6%.

• Between 2011-2021, United Airlines’ revenue decreased by 33.6% (From $37.1 billion to $24.63 billion).

• Between 2019-2020, United Airlines’ net income fell from a positive $3 million down to a negative of -$7.07 million.

United Airlines’ Net Income (2009-2022)

United Airlines Statistics FAQ

1. How many people fly with United Airlines each year?

   As of 2021, 69.4 million people flew on United Airlines flights (58.8 million domestic and 10.6 million international travelers). Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, that number was consistently over 100 million every year but faced a steep decline in 2020.

   For instance, between 2019-2020, the total number of United Airlines passengers fell by 67.5%, from 116.2 million to 37.1 million. Though the airliner has started to recover, only around half the number of passengers flew in 2021 compared to 2019.

2. Is United Airlines the most popular airline in the United States?

   No, United Airlines isn’t the most popular airline in the United States. First and foremost, United Airlines only ranks fourth in the domestic flights market share, behind American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Air Lines.

   Additionally, Delta has also been consistently ranked as the most popular airliner in recent years. In the U.S., Delta consistently ranks higher in customer service, free flight changes, and overall experience.

3. How many people work for United Airlines?

   Currently, United Airlines has 92,795 employees. United Airlines experienced a massive 22.5% decline in employees in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In 2019, the company had roughly 96,000, and in 2020, that number dropped to 74,400. However, the 13% increase from 2020-2021 does indicate a positive recovery.

   

4. How much is United Airlines worth?

   United Airlines currently has a net worth of $13.53 billion. While this is an overall recovery from 2020, when the company’s net worth plummeted to $6.09 billion, United still has a long way to go. For instance, in 2019, United Airlines’ net worth was $24.18 billion, or 65% higher than it is today.

5. How many aircraft does United Airlines have?

   United Airlines has approximately 866 total aircraft at its disposal. Some of the most common types of aircraft used by the airliner include: Boeing 737-800 (140+), Boeing 737-900ER (135+), and the Airbus A319-100 (100+), among others.

6. What is United Airlines’ annual revenue?

   United Airlines’ annual revenue in 2022 was $$44.95 billion. Between 2011-2021, United Airlines’ revenue decreased by 33.6% (From $37.1 billion to $24.63 billion). However, the worst year for the company was 2020, when annual revenue dipped to only $15.35 billion. That means that in 2020, United Airlines took in less than half the revenue that it had ten years prior.

   United Airlines Annual Revenue (2009-2022)

   Year	Annual Revenue
   2022	$44.95B
   2021	$24.6B
   2020	$15.4B
   2019	$43.3B
   2018	$41.3B
   2017	$37.8B
   2016	$36.6B
   2015	$37.9B
   2014	$38.9B
   2013	$38.3B
   2012	$37.1B
   2011	$37.1B
   2010	$23.3B
   2009	$16.3B

Conclusion

While not the most popular or largest airliner in the United States, United Airlines is still within the top five largest in the country. Of course, like any other airliner, United Airlines was hit heavily by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Between 2019-2020, the airliner’s revenue decreased by 33.6%, and the number of passengers fell by 67.5%.

However, United Airlines has been making a slow and stable recovery in 2022. For instance, the company currently has a net worth of $13.53 billion, which is more than double that of 2020, when its net worth plummeted to $6.09 billion. And similar trends can be seen in the number of passengers, revenue, and other factors.

Overall, United Airlines faced a major income crisis in 2020 and is now making a slow recovery — even if today’s statistics still lag behind 2019 numbers.

Sources:

1. Macrotrends. “United Airlines Holdings Inc Revenue 2010-2021 | UAL.” Accessed on April 20th, 2022.

2. United. “About United.” Accessed on April 20th, 2022.

3. United. “Popular travel destinations.” Accessed on April 20th, 2022.

4. Airport Parking Reservations. “United Airlines Flight Status.” Accessed on April 21st, 2022.

5. Statista. “United Airlines’ passenger load factor from FY 2011 to FY 2021.” Accessed on April 21st, 2022.

6. Reuters. “United Airlines pledges loyalty program for $5 billion loan.” Accessed on April 21st, 2022.

7. Statista. “United Airlines’ cargo ton miles from FY 2011 to FY 2021.” Accessed on April 21st, 2022.

8. Statista. “Domestic market share of leading U.S. airlines from January to December 2021*.” Accessed on April 21st, 2022.

9. Fortune. “United Airlines Holdings.” Accessed on April 21st, 2022.

10. BTS. “Passengers United Air Lines – All Airports.” Accessed on April 21st, 2022.

11. Macrotrends. “United Airlines Holdings Inc Net Worth 2010-2023 | UAL.” Accessed on March 26th, 2023.

12. Macrotrends. “United Airlines Holdings Inc: Number of Employees 2010-2022 | UAL.” Accessed on March 26th, 2023.

13. Macrotrends. “United Airlines Holdings Inc Net Income 2010-2022 | UAL.” Accessed on March 26th, 2023.

14. Investopedia. UAL Load Factor Hits Multi-Year Highs.” Accessed on March 26th, 2023.