United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) Earnings History

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. - Q4 FY2025 Earnings

Filed at: Jan 20, 2026, 4:00 PM EST|Read from source

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

United Airlines reported strong fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results, exceeding expectations with record quarterly revenue and year-over-year EPS growth, driven by increased passenger volume and premium revenue expansion.

POSITIVE HIGHLIGHTS

  • •

    Full year 2025 diluted EPS of $10.20, up 8% year-over-year.

    positive
  • •

    Q4 2025 revenue of $15.4 billion, the highest quarterly revenue in United history.

    positive
  • •

    Flew a record 181 million passengers in 2025, with the lowest seat cancellation rate in company history.

    positive
  • •

    Premium revenue up 9% for Q4 and 11% for the full year.

    positive
  • •

    Loyalty revenue up 10% for Q4 and 9% for the full year.

    positive

CONCERNS & RISKS

  • •

    Q4 TRASM (Total Revenue Per Available Seat Mile) down 1.6% compared to Q4 2024.

    attention
  • •

    Q4 CASM-ex (Cost Per Available Seat Mile excluding fuel) up 0.4% compared to Q4 2024.

    attention
  • •

    Free cash flow significantly decreased to $2.7 billion in 2025 from $4.3 billion in 2024.

    negative
  • •

    Government shutdown in November 2025 had an approximate $250 million impact on pre-tax earnings in the quarter.

    attention

FINANCIAL METRICS

Revenue
Quarterly
$15.40B
+4.8%
Prior year: $14.70B
Annual (YTD)
$59.07B
N/A
Prior year: $57.06B
Net Income
Quarterly
$1.04B
+6.0%
Prior year: $985.00M
Annual (YTD)
$3.35B
N/A
Prior year: $3.15B
EPS (Diluted)
Quarterly
$3.19
+8.1%
Prior year: $2.95
Annual (YTD)
$10.20
N/A
Prior year: $9.45
Operating Income
Quarterly
$1.39B
-7.8%
Prior year: $1.50B
Annual (YTD)
$4.71B
N/A
Prior year: $5.10B
EPS (Basic)
Quarterly
N/A
N/A

MARGIN ANALYSIS

Operating Margin
Current Quarter
9.0%
Prior Year
10.2%
YoY Change
-120 bps
Net Margin
Current Quarter
6.8%
Prior Year
6.7%
YoY Change
+10 bps

Margin expansion indicates improving profitability and operational efficiency. Measured in basis points (bps): 100 bps = 1.0%.

SPECIAL ITEMS & ADJUSTMENTS

Q4 2025
Government shutdown impact
Impacted pre-tax earnings in the quarter.
$250M
FY 2025
Labor contract ratification bonus
Recorded as a special charge.
$561M
FY 2025
Net gains on sale of assets and other special charges
Primarily comprised of gains on aircraft sale-leaseback transactions, offset by other charges.
+$303M
FY 2025
Charges related to prepayment of MileagePlus senior secured notes
Recorded as a special charge.
+$20M
Total Impact
$488M

Special items are non-recurring events that may distort period-over-period comparisons. Analysts typically adjust for these when calculating normalized earnings.

MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY

CEO Scott Kirby stated, 'Our results are built on winning more and more brand-loyal customers — it's clear they get the most value flying United.'

— United Airlines Holdings, Inc., Q4 FY2025 2025 Earnings Call

CEO Scott Kirby noted, '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 Holdings, Inc., Q4 FY2025 2025 Earnings Call

United plans to take delivery of over 100 narrowbody aircraft and approximately 20 Boeing 787 aircraft in 2026, growing its network and making significant airport upgrades.

— United Airlines Holdings, Inc., Q4 FY2025 2025 Earnings Call

Commentary excerpts from earnings call transcripts provide management's perspective on performance, strategy, and outlook. Always review full transcripts for complete context.

OPERATIONAL METRICS

Aircraft In Fleet
1.5K
+6.0% YoY
Prior year: 1.4K
units
Average Stage Length
1.5K
+1.9% YoY
Prior year: 1.4K
miles
Employee Headcount
113.2K
+5.5% YoY
Prior year: 107.3K
thousands
Passengers Carried
181.1M
+4.3% YoY
Prior year: 173.6M
thousands

Operational metrics provide insight into business drivers and customer engagement beyond traditional financial measures.

Related Research

Analysis

UAL 10-K Analysis: Three Businesses, One Multiple — Why the Market Misprices United