United expected to ground dozens of aircraft

United Airlines is expected to ground dozens of its least fuel-efficient aircraft, including Boeing 747 jumbo jets, as part of sweeping cuts intended to help the carrier conserve cash and surviving a daunting environment as a stand-alone company.

The Chicago-based airline intensified planning for the initiative as it cooled on a potential merger with US Airways in mid-May, say people familiar with its plans. United is expected to announce the cuts as early as Wednesday.

With the economy in a downdraft, capital constraints have made large-scale mergers largely unfeasible, forcing carriers like United to seek other ways to cut capacity in an effort to gain sufficient pricing power to cover rising fuel costs.

United plans to retire the workhorses of its domestic fleet: 94 decades-old Boeing 737 jets, single-aisle planes that seat up to 123 passengers and shuttle over medium-range distances, say people close to the company.