New York (AFP)

United Airlines announced Tuesday that it had ordered 50 Airbus A321 XLRs, a medium-capacity aircraft, to replace aging Boeing aircraft, inflicting a snub on the American aircraft manufacturer stuck in the 737 MAX crisis.

These planes, which will be delivered to him from 2024, will replace his fleet of Boeing 757-200 in the near future to be removed from the flight programs, said the American company.

This order is one of the first commercial setbacks of the Boeing 737 MAX crisis, grounded since mid-March after two tragedies that killed a total of 346 people.

Busy to obtain a lift ban on the MAX, Boeing has fallen behind in the development of a new aircraft to compete with Airbus in the mid-market segment - between medium and long haul - busy by the A321XLR.

- Hole in the Boeing product line -

United turned to Airbus because Boeing does not have a plane in the middle market segment, told AFP a source close to the case on condition of anonymity.

"Boeing does not currently offer any aircraft that can replace the 757," the source said, adding that negotiations between Airbus and United began "several months ago".

Boeing had to postpone a possible announcement of the launch of the New Model Aircraft (NMA) next year, which is expected to replace the 757 and 767 on the Middle Market (MoM).

The aircraft manufacturer has recently presented to various airlines, including United, drawings of this aircraft with a capacity of 200 to 270 seats, told AFP industrial sources. It is still aiming for the year 2025 as the date of entry into service.

"We will be looking closely at this aircraft," said Andrew Nocella, United's chief commercial officer, whose international fleet consists mainly of Boeing - 757, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner -.

Contacted by AFP, Boeing, now out of control by Airbus in terms of orders and deliveries, did not respond immediately.

The A321XLR was unveiled in June at the Paris Air Show by Airbus. It offers companies the opportunity to open new long-haul routes between secondary cities with a single-aisle, cheaper, easier to fill and therefore more profitable.

United intends to serve European destinations from the east coast, including Newark, New Jersey, near New York, and Washington Dulles, the federal capital.

The A321XLR "will allow United to explore additional destinations to serve in Europe from its East Coast hubs Newark / New York and Washington," the company said.

The A321XLR can travel up to 8,700 km in 9 hours, thanks to larger tanks, much more than the Boeing 737 MAX, United is one of the customers, with 14 copies before its grounding.

The price of the order placed with Airbus has not been published but it would amount to nearly $ 6.5 billion at the list price, told AFP the source close to the case, but the final price should be much lower because aircraft manufacturers traditionally give large discounts to their customers.

Airbus has decided not to publish its catalog prices from 2019. But the A321XLR is the very long-range version of the A321, whose unit value was $ 129.5 million. catalog price 2018.

United also decided Tuesday to postpone for five years the receipt of its first Airbus A350 long-haul aircraft.

The group, which ordered 45 A350-900s (up to 325 seats) in 2017, said it now plans to have these long-haul deliveries from 2027 instead of 2022 as previously reported. .

© 2019 AFP