United Airlines first-quarter profit doubles

United Airlines has doubled its first quarter profit to $292 million, despite the grounding of its 737 MAX fleet. The increase has been due to a combination of effective cost management and increased passenger numbers, which rose 7.1% compared to the corresponding period last year. First-quarter passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) increased 1.1%, while unit cost per available seat mile (CASM) decreased by 2.1% year-over-year. Earlier this month, United Airlines removed 14 MAX aircraft from its flying schedule following two fatal crashes. “We delivered another strong financial quarter in which we made important progress on our customer investments while making