This is the cover of the 9 November 1981 Aviation Week & Space Technology showing United Airlines’ first two Boeing 767-200s, N601UA and N602UA. United introduced the 767-200 on 8 September 1982- the first commercial flight of the 767 was with United as Flight 1767 Chicago to Denver. Interestingly while we mostly think of United and the 767 in terms of transcontinental and international services, when United first got the 767-200, they were deployed as replacements for the Boeing 727 on main domestic routes in United’s network. The 767-200 was about 29% more cost efficient than the 727-200 on a typical United domestic trunk route. The passage of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978 followed by the PATCO strike in 1981 had cost legacy carriers like United millions of dollars and hampered post-deregulation expansion plans. It wasn’t until the 4Q of 1982 that United could confidently state that it had regained market share lost in the prior years- key to the airline’s improved performance was the deployment of the 767-200 to United’s main trunk routes. By the end of 1982, United had six 767-200s in service and took delivery of another thirteen in 1983, having deferred most of its order on account of current economic challenges. At the time the 767-200s were arriving at United, the airline had nearly 22% of the domestic market share, it’s best showing since deregulation and despite competition from eight other airlines, it maintained a 50% market share on the Hawaii market. While the 767-200s were not intended as a replacement for the 727-200 in United’s network, the boost in efficiency and capacity allowed for a growth in seat capacity without an increase in fuel costs, one of the keys that ensured United’s survival in the post-deregulation chaos of the early 1980s. #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #airlines #Boeing #767 #United #UnitedAirlines #N601UA #N602UA #AWST #AviationWeek #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation #TeamAvGeek https://www.instagram.com/p/B3YX_CKhTj0/?igshid=1jta2twnlp2ey