Commercial Aviation
United Airlines Stores Boeing 777s Over Engine Parts Shortage
United Airlines part of its Boeing 777 fleet due to Pratt & Whitney engine parts shortage, impacting international and Hawaii routes.
United Airlines has begun moving a significant portion of its Boeing 777 fleet into long-term storage, a decision driven by severe supply chain constraints rather than a new federal safety mandate. According to reporting by Aviation A2Z and verified fleet data, the airline is parking part of the 52 aircraft, representing roughly 54% of its Boeing 777 fleet.
The operational shift, which peaked around January 15, 2026, affects Boeing 777-200 and 777-200ER models powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112 engines. While initial reports described the move as a “grounding,” industry data clarifies that United has voluntarily placed these jets in storage to manage a critical lack of spare parts and protect long-term fleet certification.
Unlike the mandatory grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX or the previous FAA order following the 2021 Denver engine incident, this current action is a strategic choice by United Airlines. Reports indicate that the airline is facing a shortage of replacement fan blades and other essential components for the PW4000-112 engines. United is currently the only U.S. carrier operating this specific airframe-engine combination.
According to fleet data, affected aircraft are being ferried to storage facilities, with a primary concentration at Victorville, California (VCV). Notable airframes recently moved to storage include N777UA, the first 777 ever delivered, and N212UA.
A primary motivator for this decision is the preservation of the fleet’s ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards) rating. Industry analysis suggests that United fears continued reliability issues, exacerbated by the inability to perform timely maintenance due to parts shortages, could lead the FAA to downgrade the fleet’s rating. A loss of ETOPS certification would prohibit these aircraft from flying direct routes over oceans, effectively rendering them unusable for their intended missions to Hawaii and Asia.
This situation has necessitated significant adjustments to United’s Spring and Summer 2026 schedule. Aviation A2Z notes that the airline has had to cut frequencies and suspend specific long-haul and high-density routes.
Suspended or Reduced International Routes: Domestic Impact: Passengers affected by these changes are reportedly being rebooked on alternative aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. However, because these alternative aircraft often have fewer seats, inventory is tighter. United is applying standard schedule change policies, offering full refunds or free rebooking for flights cancelled or delayed by more than 60 minutes.
The current storage program is deeply rooted in the troubled history of the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine. In February 2021, United flight 328 suffered a catastrophic engine failure over Denver, which resulted in a year-long mandatory grounding of the fleet. A prior incident involving a fan blade separation occurred in February 2018 on a flight to Honolulu.
Following the 2021 incident, the FAA mandated rigorous Thermal Acoustic Imaging inspections for fan blades. These inspections are labor-intensive and require replacement parts that are currently in short supply. Pratt & Whitney has acknowledged broader supply-chain pressures, which are further complicated by issues with their separate GTF engine program.
It is crucial for observers to distinguish between a safety emergency and a logistics crisis. In industry slang, aircraft that are structurally sound but lack working engines are often referred to as “gliders.” United’s decision to store these airframes is likely an effort to “stop the clock” on maintenance intervals while waiting for the supply chain to stabilize, a process that some experts believe could take until 2027 or 2028.
By voluntarily parking some of the fleet, United avoids the public relations damage of potential in-service failures and maintains control over the narrative, framing the move as a modernization and reliability effort rather than a safety failure.
Is this a mandatory FAA grounding? Which aircraft are affected? Will my flight to Europe or Hawaii be cancelled?
United Airlines Moves Dozens of Boeing 777s to Storage Amid Engine Parts Shortage
Operational Storage vs. Safety Grounding
Preserving ETOPS Certification
Impact on Routes and Passengers
The high-density domestic 777-200s are heavily utilized for service to Hawaii. Reductions have been confirmed on routes connecting Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Denver (DEN) to Honolulu, Kona, and Maui.
Historical Context and Supply Chain Struggles
AirPro News Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
No. This is a voluntary decision by United Airlines to place aircraft into storage due to a shortage of spare parts.
The decision affects Boeing 777-200 and 777-200ER models equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112 engines.
Routes to destinations like Stockholm, Dakar, and Hawaii are seeing suspensions or reductions. Passengers should check their specific itinerary for changes.Sources
Photo Credit: United Airlines