United Airlines

United Airlines has its roots in Varney Air Lines, founded in 1926 as the first private airmail carrier in the United States. The airline that would become United was built through a series of mergers and acquisitions during the late 1920s and early 1930s under the holding company United Aircraft and Transport Corporation. United Airlines was formally established as an independent operating company in 1931. In 1934, Boeing Air Transport, Pacific Air Transport, Varney Air Lines, and National Air Transport merged to form the core of United Air Lines.

The airline pioneered many aviation firsts, including the first use of a flight kitchen to serve in-flight meals in 1936 and the first flight attendant training school. United was the launch customer for the Boeing 247 — considered the first modern airliner — and later the Douglas DC-8. During the 1960s and 1970s, United became the dominant carrier on the lucrative transcontinental and West Coast corridors. The 1985 leveraged buyout attempt and subsequent employee ownership arrangements shaped United's corporate culture through the 1990s.

United filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2002 following the devastating impact of the September 11 attacks on air travel demand, emerging from bankruptcy in February 2006 as a leaner, more competitive carrier. In 2010, United completed a merger with Continental Airlines — creating the world's largest airline at the time — adopting the United name while retaining Continental's operational infrastructure and globe logo. Under CEO Scott Kirby since 2020, United has undertaken the most ambitious fleet and network expansion in its history, with the United Next growth plan targeting record capacity additions.