NOTE 8 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments. As of March 31, 2016, United had firm commitments and options to purchase aircraft from The Boeing Company (“Boeing”), Embraer S.A. (“Embraer”) and Airbus S.A.S. (“Airbus”) presented in the table below:


Aircraft Type	Number of Firm Commitments (a)
Airbus A350-1000		35
Boeing 737NG/737 MAX 9		178
Boeing 777-300ER		14
Boeing 787-8/-9/-10		23
Embraer E175		9
(a) United also has options and purchase rights for additional aircraft.

The aircraft listed in the table above are scheduled for delivery through 2024. For the remainder of 2016, United expects to take delivery of 13 Boeing 737NG aircraft, one Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, two Boeing 787-9 aircraft and nine Embraer E175 aircraft. United expects to assign the nine Embraer E175 aircraft immediately prior to each aircraft’s delivery by Embraer to a designated United Express operator.

As of March 31, 2016, United has secured backstop financing commitments from certain of its aircraft manufacturers for a limited number of its future aircraft deliveries, subject to certain customary conditions. Financing may be necessary to satisfy the Company’s capital commitments for its firm order aircraft and other related capital expenditures.

The table below summarizes United’s commitments as of March 31, 2016, which primarily relate to the acquisition of aircraft and related spare engines, aircraft improvements and include other commitments primarily to acquire information technology services and assets. Any new firm aircraft orders, including through the exercise of purchase options and purchase rights, will increase the total future capital commitments of the Company.


	(in billions)
Last nine months of 2016	$	2.9
2017		3.9
2018		3.9
2019		3.2
2020		2.4
After 2020		6.9

	$	23.2

In March 2016, the Company announced that it will retire its fleet of Boeing 747 aircraft from scheduled service by the end of 2018. The Company does not expect there to be a material impact to depreciation and amortization expense.

Guarantees. As of March 31, 2016, United is the guarantor of approximately $1.9 billion in aggregate principal amount of tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds and interest thereon. These bonds, issued by various airport municipalities, are payable solely from rentals paid under long-term agreements with the respective governing bodies. The leasing arrangements associated with $1.4 billion of these obligations are accounted for as operating leases with the associated expense recorded on a straight-line basis resulting in ratable accrual of the lease obligation over the expected lease term. The leasing arrangements associated with $316 million of these obligations are accounted for as capital leases. All of these bonds are due between 2017 and 2038.

In the Company’s financing transactions that include loans, the Company typically agrees to reimburse lenders for any reduced returns with respect to the loans due to any change in capital requirements and, in the case of loans in which the interest rate is based on the London Interbank Offered Rate, for certain other increased costs that the lenders incur in carrying these loans as a result of any change in law, subject in most cases to obligations of the lenders to take certain limited steps to mitigate the requirement for, or the amount of, such increased costs. At March 31, 2016, the Company had $2.4 billion of floating rate debt and $111 million of fixed rate debt, with remaining terms of up to 12 years, that are subject to these increased cost provisions. In several financing transactions involving loans or leases from non-U.S. entities, with remaining terms of up to 12 years and an aggregate balance of $2.5 billion, the Company bears the risk of any change in tax laws that would subject loan or lease payments thereunder to non-U.S. entities to withholding taxes, subject to customary exclusions.

Labor Negotiations. As of March 31, 2016, United had approximately 86,000 active employees, of whom approximately 80% were represented by various labor organizations.

In January 2016, United’s pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International, agreed to extend their contract through January 31, 2019. In March 2016, the Company’s dispatchers, represented by the Professional Airline Flight Control Association, agreed to extend their current contract through 2021. In April 2016, the fleet service, passenger service, storekeeper and other employees represented by the Int’l Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (“IAM”) ratified seven new contracts with the Company which extended the contracts through 2021. The Company continues to negotiate in mediation for a joint flight attendant collective bargaining agreement and a joint technician and related employees’ collective bargaining agreement. See Note 10 of this report for additional information.