Timeline of United Airlines' bankruptcy

Noteworthy dates in United Airlines' bankruptcy restructuring:

Dec. 9, 2002 — UAL Corp.'s United Airlines files for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection in Chicago. It remains the largest bankruptcy filing by an airline and was at the time the sixth-biggest by any U.S. company.
Feb. 13, 2003 — United says it intends to shift 30 percent of its U.S. capacity to a new low-cost carrier to compete with Southwest Airlines and other discount carriers.
April 21, 2003 — United starts charging for meals on flights.
May 1, 2003 — New labor contracts go into effect reducing labor costs by $2.56 billion annually for six years.
May 20, 2003 — Chief Financial Officer Jake Brace says the restructuring is ahead of schedule and United could leave bankruptcy as soon as the coming fall.
Oct. 29, 2003 — CEO Glenn Tilton says United now on track to meet its original target date of emergence from bankruptcy in late spring 2004.
Feb. 12, 2004 — United launches its new Denver-based discount carrier, Ted.
June 11, 2004 — Tilton says United expects to emerge from bankruptcy by year's end even if its pending application for a $1.6 billion federal loan guarantee is rejected.
June 28, 2004 — United loses third and final try for a government loan guarantee, forcing it to seek new financing.
July 14, 2004 — United skips a required quarterly payment of $72.4 million to its employee pension funds, the first formal evidence that pensions are under review as it looks for financing.
July 23, 2004 — United announces it plans no further payments to pension funds.
Aug. 19, 2004 — United says in a bankruptcy filing that it likely will terminate and replace its employee pension plans.
Oct. 6, 2004 — United cuts domestic flight capacity by 12 percent and increases international capacity 14 percent amid intensifying discount-carrier competition in U.S. and more lucrative routes internationally.
Nov. 4, 2004 — Tilton says record-high fuel costs mean United has no choice but to eliminate pensions and cut wages further to gain an additional $2 billion in reductions.
May 10, 2005 — Bankruptcy Judge Eugene Wedoff approves United's plan to terminate employee pensions, clearing the way for the largest corporate-pension default in American history.
July 21, 2005 — United completes second round of negotiated labor cuts in bankruptcy, adding another $700 million in annual labor savings.
Sept. 7, 2005 — United files long-delayed reorganization plan outlining its intentions for repaying its debts and wiping out its stock. Forecasts nearly $1 billion operating profit in 2006 but based on oil prices falling to $50 a barrel.
Oct. 6, 2005 — United signs off on a $3 billion loan from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. enabling it to exit bankruptcy.
Dec. 30, 2005 — United announces majority of creditors have voted for its reorganization plan.
Jan. 20, 2006 — Reorganization plan approved by Wedoff, setting stage for United to come out of bankruptcy at beginning of February.