Result Exceeded Wall Street Expectations
US airline, United Airlines has announced its “fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results that exceeded Wall Street expectations and were within guidance. The airline’s diluted earnings per share of $10.20 and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $10.62 for 2025 rose versus 2024.”
United Airlines says it delivered “full-year pre-tax earnings of $4.3 billion, with a pre-tax margin of 7.3%, and adjusted pre-tax earnings of $4.6 billion, with an adjusted pre-tax margin of 7.8%. Total operating revenue for the year grew 3.5% year-over-year to $59.1 billion — the highest in United history. The company generated $8.4 billion of operating cash flow and $2.7 billion in free cash flow in 2025 and expects to generate a similar level of free cash flow in 2026.”
CEO Scott Kirby said: “Our results are built on winning more and more brand-loyal customers — it’s clear they get the most value flying United. This was the highest-revenue quarter in United’s history and the highest quarterly RASM of the year providing strong revenue momentum that is continuing into 2026.”
United Airlines stated that its “customers continue to benefit from United’s growing, reliable operation. United canceled flights at the lowest per-seat rate among U.S. network airlines in 2025 while flying the largest mainline schedule in the airline’s history, carrying an average of more than 496,000 passengers daily. United’s 303 daily widebody departures in 2025 were the most in its history. United Express logged 134 days without a single cancellation during 2025, and Connection Saver saved more than one million potential missed connections during the year, a 42% increase over 2024.”
According to United Airlines, it delivered “strong fourth-quarter results despite challenges such as the government shutdown, as brand-loyal customers chose the United experience. Compared to the year ago period, diverse revenue sources continued to grow: premium revenue was up 9% for the fourth quarter and 11% for the full year, loyalty revenue was up 10% for the fourth quarter and 9% for the full year, and revenue from Basic Economy grew 7% for the fourth quarter and 5% for the full year. Strong revenue momentum has continued into 2026. The week ending January 4th was the highest flown revenue week in United history, and the week ending January 11th was the highest ticketing week and the highest week for business sales in United history.”
United Airlines pointed out that “the government shutdown in November provided an opportunity to do the right thing by our customers and further build their trust. United offered all customers a full refund — even if their flights weren’t canceled — and aggressively promoted that policy in customer communications including on a dedicated page on the corporate website, and within contact centers. Customers noticed: November was United’s highest-ever monthly Net Promoter Score. Our customer-first policies, combined with the impact to bookings and costs, led to an approximately $250 million impact to pre-tax earnings in the quarter.”
United Airlines added that for its MileagePlus members, fast and free “Starlink Wi-Fi is now installed on nearly all of the dual-cabin United Express fleet, more than 300 aircraft, with completion expected later this month. Starlink installations have begun on mainline aircraft and are expected to accelerate rapidly during 2026.”
Additionally in 2026, United Airlines plans to enhance the customer experience as “it plans to take delivery of over 100 narrowbody aircraft and approximately 20 Boeing 787 aircraft – more widebody aircraft in a year than any U.S. passenger airline since 1988.”
United’s network in Africa covers Lagos, Accra, Dakar, Cape Town and Marakkesh.