United Airlines filed for bankruptcy in 2002 and later merged with Continental Airlines.
United entered Chapter 11 protection on December 9, 2002, after the airline industry suffered from the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, weak demand, high labor costs, and heavy debt. It became one of the largest U.S. airlines to use bankruptcy reorganization.
The airline emerged from Chapter 11 on February 1, 2006. United continued operating under the United Airlines name and retained its major global network, while restructuring its finances and labor agreements.
In 2010, United announced a merger with Continental Airlines. The transaction created the modern United Airlines, although the combined company used United’s name and branding. This bankruptcy is separate from American Airlines’ 2011 filing and US Airways’ earlier bankruptcy cases, both of which involved different reorganizations.