Frequent Flyer: UAL Cuts 10 ORD Planned Flight Routes, Boeing 737 MAX 7 Nearing FAA Certification, & AMEX Spending Shows Resilient Travel Demand

Research evidence excerpt

Frequent Flyer: UAL Cuts 10 ORD Planned Flight Routes, Boeing 737 MAX 7 Nearing FAA Certification, & AMEX Spending Shows Resilient Travel Demand

Update

July 28, 2026 04:01 AM GMT

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLCMAirlines | North America Ravi Shanker

Equity Analyst

Frequent Flyer: UAL Cuts 10 Ravi.Shanker@morganstanley.comMadison J Pasterchick +1 212 761-6350

Research Associate

Madison.Pasterchick@morganstanley.com +1 212 761-3787

ORD Planned Flight Routes, Nancy Hipp

Nancy.Hipp@morganstanley.com +1 212 761-1311

Boeing 737 MAX 7 Nearing FAA

Airlines

North America

Industry View AttractiveCertification, & AMEX Spending

Shows Resilient Travel Demand

UAL recently cut 10 planned flight routes from ORD due to the

extended flight cap, the Boeing 737 MAX 7 could receive FAA

certification in the near future, and AMEX spending data shows

resilient travel demand across geographies and cabins.

Following the daily flight cap extension at ORD, UAL announced it will cut 10

planned flight routes. These routes connected ORD to smaller Midwestern cities

including Bloomington and Champaign in Indiana, Kalamazoo and Marquette in

Michigan, and La Crosse and Wausau in Wisconsin. UAL still plans to launch these

new routes eventually as a part of their expansion initiative but will wait until after

the flight cap is lifted in October 2027. We believe the decision makes sense and

could further improve UAL’s profitability at ORD.

According to industry reports, the Boeing 737 MAX 7 could receive final FAA

certification by the end of July 2026 after facing regulatory hurdles due to the

aircraft's engine anti-ice system redesign. This potential certification would be

especially impactful for both Boeing and LUV, as LUV has ordered 314 MAX 7s to

replace its aging fleet of 334 Boeing 737-700s.