United Airlines Welcomes Three New Airbus A321neos in Quick Succession

United Airlines accelerated its fleet expansion by taking delivery of three Airbus A321neo aircraft within a mere week. This swift acquisition included two aircraft delivered on the same day, December 29, 2025, and another just days earlier on December 23, 2025. With these additions, United Airlines now operates a total of 56 A321neos, boasting an impressive average age of just one year, according to data from ch-aviation.

Looking to the future, the Chicago-based airline has plans to expand its fleet further, aiming to incorporate a total of 149 A321neos. In addition, United is set to receive 50 Airbus A321XLR narrowbody aircraft, enhancing its operational capabilities.

Delivery Details at Tampa International Airport

All three recently delivered A321neos landed at Tampa International Airport (TPA), following their journey from Mobile International Airport (BFM) in Alabama. The first aircraft, registered as N14565, arrived on December 23, 2025. The subsequent deliveries on December 29, 2025, included two additional aircraft, registered as N34562 and N14563.

Mobile serves as Airbus’s primary production site in the United States for the A220 and A320 family of aircraft. The facility has been operational since 2015, successfully producing hundreds of A320-family jets. The first A321 manufactured in Alabama was delivered to JetBlue in 2016. Currently, Airbus employs over 2,000 individuals at its production and engineering sites in the state.

Airbus Adjusts Delivery Targets Amid Challenges

In a recent update, Airbus revised its delivery targets for the year, now aiming to deliver approximately 790 aircraft instead of the previously anticipated 820. This adjustment was made in response to quality issues affecting fuselage panels supplied by Sofitec Aero. These problems have disrupted the delivery flow for the Airbus A320 family, raising questions about the manufacturer’s ability to meet the new target.

As of November 2025, Airbus had successfully delivered a total of 657 aircraft to 87 customers globally. To meet its revised goal, the company must deliver an additional 133 aircraft by the end of the year. Recent figures indicate that the manufacturer delivered around 29 aircraft in the first half of December, reflecting a slower-than-average pace for the month.

The slowdown in deliveries is partly attributed to airlines awaiting further information on corrective measures related to the fuselage issue. In November 2025, Airbus delivered 72 new aircraft to 42 customers, a decrease of 12 from the same month in the previous year. This decline has led to a reassessment of the company’s delivery outlook, prompting the reduction by 30 aircraft.

The quality concerns stem from metal fuselage panels produced at the incorrect thickness, leading to inspections of a total of 628 A320-family aircraft. This includes 168 aircraft already in service, 245 on final assembly lines, and another 215 in early production stages. In addition, a software glitch linked to solar radiation caused the temporary grounding of approximately 6,000 A320 family aircraft, further complicating Airbus’s delivery schedule.

As the industry navigates these challenges, the successful delivery of the new A321neos to United Airlines marks a significant step in the airline’s ongoing fleet modernization efforts.