A United Airlines 777-200 en route to Rome diverted to Sacramento, California after a mechanical issue. But rather than spend a spare 777-200 from nearby San Francisco to rescue passengers onboard, United sent a 737 MAX 9 instead.
After United Airlines 777-200 Diverts To Sacramento, United Sends 737 MAX 9 To Pick Up Passengers + Crew
On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, United flight 507 took off from San Francisco (SFO) bound for Rome (FCO). But just minutes into the flight as the aircraft neared the California-Nevada border, a mechanical issue was flagged (an overheating right engine according to one of the passengers, though United has not confirmed this) and the choice was made to divert the flight quickly.
Thus, rather than returning to San Francisco International Airport, the flight landed at Sacramento International Airport, only 86 miles away.
Passengers waited patiently on the ground before disembarking the aircraft via airstairs and being bussed into the terminal. There, they waited while a replacement aircraft from San Francisco was dispatched.
But rather than send another 777-200, United sent a 737 MAX 9.
For comparison purposes, a United 777-200ER features 276 seats:
50 Polaris business class seats
24 Premium Plus premium economy class seats
202 economy class seats (including 46 EconomyPlus extra legroom seats)
And a Boeing 737 MAX 9 features 179 seats:
20 “first class” seats
159 economy class seats (including 45 EconomyPlus extra legroom seats)
So how was an aircraft with only about 2/3 as many seats able to accommodate the passengers onboard?
It was not full. There were only 148 passengers and 14 crewmembers oboard, making it easy enough to accommodate all of them on the 179-seat 737 MAX 9.
United CEO Scott Kirby told employees this week in a recorded video announcement that demand has weakened for travel and is below 2019 levels this summer. The fact that a 737 MAX 9 was able to accommodate all passengers returning to San Francisco (and there is no indication any passenger to Rome decided to stay in Sacramento instead…) is a telltale sign. In years past, getting an open middle seat on a Rome flight during the summer was very difficult.
A United 777-200 diverted to Sacramento due to an engine issue, but due to low passenger loads United only had to dispatch a 737 MAX 9 to rescue the stranded passengers and crew. The story here seems less about the mechanical diversion, which after all is common enough on these aging 777s, but on the low passenger count.