THE WORLD'S LARGEST AIRLINE IS set for official take-off.
Single certification for the merged United and Continental airlines is due before the end of this year, according to Bob Schumacher, managing director, UK & Ireland, worldwide sales for United.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) certification means the same operating procedures can be applied to both carriers.
"The final piece of the merger will be in place with the fusion of reservations systems by the end of Q1 2012," Schumacher said. The two airlines have been operating jointly under parent company United Continental Holdings since October last year.
"We have been working to pull the individual strands together so, effectively, we can be joined at the hip under the new United banner," added Schumacher.
The fully merged carrier will be the world's largest in terms of revenue passenger miles, serving 373 destinations in 62 countries through 10 hubs.
The new United, with a combined fleet of 709 aircraft flying in a new livery, incorporating recognisable characteristics of both airlines, currently ranks second largest globally after Delta in terms of fleet size, with an additional 116 new aircraft are on order.
Schumacher said the merged carrier connects eight airports in the UK and Ireland to New York as well as London Heathrow to six US cities, with connections via its hubs to more than 200 points in the Americas.