UAL Corp. , the parent company of United Airlines, announced it and certain of its U.S. subsidiaries have filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division in Chicago. The Chapter 11 process will facilitate UAL's restructuring which is designed to restore the company to long-term financial health while operating in the normal course of business.

UAL said that during its Chapter 11 case, it will maintain its ability to continue its global operations and continue its long-standing commitment to its customers, safety and reliability. Chapter 11 permits a company to continue operations in the normal course while it develops a plan of reorganization to address its existing debt, capital and cost structures.

Glenn F. Tilton, chairman, president and chief executive officer of UAL, said, "United Airlines will continue to provide customers with the same experience and level of service they have come to expect. We stand by our commitment to provide customers with convenient schedules, quality onboard services and the most extensive route network in the U.S. and abroad. Most importantly, throughout this process, customer safety will continue to be our number one priority."

UAL stressed that it is business as usual and that current and future tickets on United flights will be honored, and United will continue to participate fully in the Star Alliance. Mileage Plus participants continue to be able to accrue and redeem mileage on United and all partner airlines. The company said that its other code-share agreements will not be affected by the filing.

Included in the filing are UAL Corp., United Airlines, Inc. and twenty-six other direct and indirect U.S. subsidiaries.

Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and the slowdown of the economy, United has faced significant financial and operational challenges. Changes in consumer behavior, particularly the reduction in business travel and the changes in business travel patterns, have led to a significant decline in revenues for United.

UAL Corp. announced that it received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for a series of the company's "first day" motions that help ensure United Airlines' operations can continue throughout the reorganization proceeding. "The Court's approval of our first day motions will ensure that United can continue operations around the world and remain focused on serving our customers as we go through this process," said Glenn F. Tilton, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of UAL.

The court approved, among other things, motions related to:

-Normal payment of employee salaries, wages and benefits;
-Continued normal operation of the Mileage Plus program, Red Carpet Clubs and other customer programs;
-Continued payment to fuel vendors;
-Payment to overseas suppliers for the delivery of good and services;
-Assumption of interline agreements; and
-Continued honoring of obligations to travel agents.

The company reported that, as expected, it was business as usual. Flights continued as scheduled and customers continued to receive reliable and safe service in the U.S. and abroad. In fact, more than 90 percent of United's flights were on time.