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United Airlines Posts Record Profits on Strong Demand for Basic Economy Travel

United Airlines Posts Record Profits on Strong Demand for Basic Economy Travel
A United Airlines jetliner glides in for a landing at Denver International Airport in Denver, on Jan. 16, 2024. David Zalubowski/AP Photo
Panos Mourdoukoutas
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United Airlines (UAL) has joined Delta Airlines in posting record profits driven by strong demand across all product categories, led by Basic Economy products.

On Jan. 21, the Chicago-based airliner reported record full-year pretax earnings of $4.2 billion, with a pretax margin of 7.3 percent. In addition, it finished the year first in on-time departures at all seven United hubs and sees robust demand in the first quarter of 2025 thanks to industry transformation.
Panos Mourdoukoutas
Panos Mourdoukoutas
Author
Panos Mourdoukoutas is a professor of economics at Long Island University in New York City. He also teaches security analysis at Columbia University. He’s been published in professional journals and magazines, including Forbes, Investopedia, Barron's, IBT, and Journal of Financial Research. He’s also the author of many books, including “Business Strategy in a Semiglobal Economy” and “China's Challenge.”