United Airlines HQ: Willis Tower Office Photos

THE HEADQUARTERS TODAY · WILLIS TOWER · CHICAGO

A 13-floor workplace that tells an airline's story

IA Interior Architects renovated 13 floors of United's headquarters at Willis Tower for more than 3,000 staff. Real aircraft parts became furniture and lights, seat belts from retired planes became installations, and interconnecting stairs link departments. The final phase, the 28th-floor Tech Hub, adds a café with city views, an auditorium and a recording studio. Gensler designed a separate amenity floor where the 3,500+ United employees spread through the tower can meet.

13 floors · 740,000 sq ft (≈ 68,748 m²)
Floors of about 50,000 sq ft (≈ 4,645 m²)
Design: IA Interior Architects
Amenity Hub: Gensler · LEED Silver
10% space kept free for growth

Willis Tower

United's world headquarters is at 233 South Wacker Drive, Willis Tower, with a lease that runs to March 31, 2033.

Looking up at the dark stepped facade of Willis Tower — From the street · Potro / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Steep upward view of the black glass and steel facade of Willis Tower — The base of the tower · Bobertrobert0709 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The 13-floor restack by IA

IA Interior Architects renovated 13 floors for more than 3,000 staff, turning real aircraft parts into furniture and lights and linking departments with interconnecting stairs.

Lounge with a round coffee table built around an engine fan and small aircraft models on a blue wall — Engine-fan coffee table · © Garrett Rowland / IA Interior Architects

Open office with a wooden interconnecting stair and desks beyond — Interconnecting stair · © Garrett Rowland / IA Interior Architects

Long training room with tables in rows and screens on the walls — Training room · © Garrett Rowland / IA Interior Architects

Corridor with a large illustrated mural of an aircraft wing and engine over a city skyline — Mural wall · © Garrett Rowland / IA Interior Architects

Corridor with large lit letters spelling UNITED and a wall reading Thank You Veterans — Lettering wall · © Garrett Rowland / IA Interior Architects

Small lounge with white chairs, a round table and framed pictures on wood-slatted walls — Lounge · © Garrett Rowland / IA Interior Architects

Wooden stair with glass balustrade rising between floors — Stair between floors · © Garrett Rowland / IA Interior Architects

The 28th-floor Tech Hub

The final phase of the renovation, the 28th-floor Tech Hub, adds a café with city views, an auditorium and a recording studio.

Black elevator lobby with a white UNITED sign and a large Floor 28 marking — Floor 28 lobby · © IA Interior Architects

Long meeting table under hanging engine-fan light fixtures — Engine lights over a table · © IA Interior Architects

Large room with rows of chairs, a wood floor and blue bench seating along the side — Multipurpose room · © IA Interior Architects

Small dark studio with lighting equipment seen past a desk — Recording studio · © IA Interior Architects

Gensler's Amenity Hub

Gensler designed a separate amenity floor, certified LEED Silver, where the 3,500+ United employees spread through the tower can meet.

Café counter and seating under a ceiling of round lights, with a black steel stair on the right — Café and stair · © Gensler

White wall with a row of aircraft-style windows lit in purple and pink — Aircraft-window wall · © Gensler

Open lounge with sofas, a marble counter and round pendant lights by the windows — Lounge and counter · © Gensler

Curved white perforated wall beside a blue wall with a UNITED sign — Entrance wall · © Gensler

Narrow white corridor with a blue curved form overhead — Corridor · © Gensler

Open workspace with long tables, sofas and plants beside glass meeting rooms — Work and meeting area · © Gensler

Facts: IA Interior Architects project pages “United Airlines CSC” and “United Airlines Corporate Support Center (CSC) Tech Hub” · Gensler project page “United Airlines Amenity Hub”.

Willis Tower: United's floors in Chicago's tallest building

Building	Address
Willis Tower (headquarters and operations center)	233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606

Source: Form 10-K FY2025 (principal executive office) · See them on the map ↓

Interior architectIA Interior Architects

Amenity HubGensler · LEED Silver

Renovated13 floors · 740,000 sq ft (≈ 68,748 m²)

HQ + ops center (2012)≈ 1,100,000 sq ft (≈ 102,193 m²)

Lease runs toMarch 31, 2033

Savings30% less water · 23% less energy

Source: IA Interior Architects project page “United Airlines CSC” · Gensler project page · Form 10-K FY2012 · United press release, Mar 13, 2019

Benefits (United States)

TravelUnlimited

Unlimited standby travel and discounted airfare to anywhere United flies.

Profit sharing$704M

Recorded for 2025 (with payroll tax); substantially all employees are eligible.

401(k)Match

A 401(k) plan with a company match, plus short- and long-term incentive opportunities.

Parental leavePaid

Parental leave is listed among the benefits in United's job postings.

HealthMedical +

Medical, dental, vision, life, accident and disability coverage, plus an employee assistance program.

CommuterBenefit

A commuter benefit — Willis Tower is close to all CTA train lines, Union and Ogilvie stations.

Giving backGrants

Volunteer impact grants for charities, plus social, athletic and activity clubs worldwide.

Source: careers.united.com/benefits · job posting WHQ00026936 (benefits list) · Form 10-K FY2025 (profit sharing) · United press release, Mar 13, 2019 (transit access)

Why people stay: what United itself says

72%Senior roles filled from inside

About 72% of senior leader positions filled in 2025 were internal placements.

587Frontline to management

587 frontline employees were promoted into management roles in 2025.

Profit sharingA share of every good year

Substantially all employees are eligible for the profit sharing plan; United recorded $704 million for it in 2025.

3 institutesTraining for managers

Leadership, Airport Operations and Digital Training Institutes are open to all management-level employees.

9 BRGsBusiness Resource Groups

Employee-led groups from BEACON to United4Veterans; every employee can join any of them.

Source: Form 10-K FY2025, Human Capital Management and Note on profit sharing · united.com People impact

Who works here

113,200

employees at Dec 31, 2025

83%

represented by U.S. labor unions

13,100

people hired in 2025

3,500+

United employees in Willis Tower

Source: Form 10-K FY2025 · Gensler project page “United Airlines Amenity Hub” (Willis Tower headcount)

Pay at United Airlines

Median employee · total compensation, 2025$96,670

The CEO's total compensation was about 334 times this amount.

Source: Proxy statement 2026 (2025 CEO Pay Ratio)

Base pay range · Chicago jobs at Willis Tower (2026 postings)

Analyst – Cargo Operations$66,500 – $86,616

Scrum Master$112,480 – $146,540

Senior Manager – Customer Analytics$127,870 – $166,492

Senior Manager – Application Development$140,600 – $183,108

Source: United Airlines job postings WHQ00026936, WHQ00026724, WHQ00026901, WHQ00026882 (careers.united.com, Aug–Oct 2026). Base pay only; bonus and long-term incentives may be on top.

Pay by ageNot published

U.S. companies don't have to report pay by age, and United doesn't. Most employees' pay is set by union contracts.

Office history: from an airmail field to Willis Tower

1926
Pasco, Washington — the first flight
On April 6, 1926, a Swallow biplane of Varney Air Lines took off from Pasco, Washington, on an airmail route to Boise, Idaho. Varney, founded by Walter T. Varney, became one of United's founding carriers, and United counts its history from that day.
Source: United press release, Apr 6, 2016 (“From Airmail to Biofuel”)

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1994
Elk Grove Township, near O'Hare — a 106-acre campus
World headquarters at 1200 Algonquin Road in Elk Grove Township, Illinois: a 106-acre complex with over one million sq ft (≈ 92,903 m²) of office space, a computer facility and a training center.
Source: UAL Corporation Form 10-K, 1994

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2007
77 West Wacker Drive — back downtown
About 400 management employees, including senior management, moved to a new downtown headquarters at 77 West Wacker Drive, leased at about 250,000 sq ft (≈ 23,226 m²). The Elk Grove campus became the Operations Center.
Source: UAL Corporation Form 10-K, 2006 and 2007

77 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, 2016 · MusikAnimal / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
2012
233 South Wacker Drive — Willis Tower
By its 2012 annual report, United's world headquarters was at 233 South Wacker Drive — Willis Tower. United leased about 1,100,000 sq ft (≈ 102,193 m²) for its headquarters and operations center in downtown Chicago.
Source: United Continental Holdings Form 10-K, 2011 and 2012

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2019
Staying at Willis Tower — and rebuilding it
United extended its lease to March 31, 2033 and announced it would completely reimagine its workspace so employees could collaborate better and use the latest technology.
Source: United press release, Mar 13, 2019

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Today
A 13-floor restack, finished with the Tech Hub
IA Interior Architects' renovation of 13 floors (740,000 sq ft) started with a pilot on the fifth floor and ended with the 28th-floor Tech Hub. Gensler added an amenity floor for the 3,500+ employees in the tower.
Source: IA Interior Architects project pages · Gensler project page

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Annual report	HQ space (sq ft)	m²	As described
10-K 1994	1,000,000+	92,903+	Owned 106-acre Elk Grove complex (HQ, computer facility, training center)
10-K 2006	137,000	12,728	New leased HQ at 77 West Wacker Drive
10-K 2007	≈ 250,000	≈ 23,226	Leased at 77 West Wacker Drive
10-K 2010	≈ 890,000	≈ 82,684	HQ and operations center, downtown Chicago
10-K 2011	≈ 910,000	≈ 84,542	HQ and operations center, downtown Chicago
10-K 2012	≈ 1,100,000	≈ 102,193	HQ and operations center, Willis Tower era

Map: how the headquarters moved

From an airmail field in Pasco, Washington, to a 106-acre campus near O'Hare, then back into downtown Chicago — first 77 West Wacker, then Willis Tower, less than 1 km away.

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1 · 1926Pasco, Washington — Varney Air Lines' first airmail flight takes off
2 · 19941200 Algonquin Road, Elk Grove Township — 106-acre world headquarters campus near O'Hare
3 · 200777 West Wacker Drive, Chicago — Headquarters moves downtown
4 · 2012Willis Tower, 233 South Wacker Drive — Headquarters today

Addresses: United press release (2016) · Form 10-K 1994, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2025

What United Airlines does

United traces its history to an airmail flight in 1926. Today it calls itself the world's largest airline by available seat miles, flying to more than 390 airports on six continents from seven U.S. hubs, with 130+ million MileagePlus members.

One airline business, reported by region: Domestic (U.S. and Canada), Atlantic, Pacific and Latin America.

Where the money came from · Operating revenue by region · 2025

DomesticU.S. and Canada

$35.0B

AtlanticFlights across the Atlantic

$11.6B

PacificFlights across the Pacific

$6.9B

Latin AmericaFlights to Latin America

$5.5B

Source: Form 10-K FY2025, revenue by principal geographic region · united.com corporate fact sheet

Revenue, 2025$59.1Bup 3.5% in a year

Net income, 2025$3.4BGAAP

Passengers, 2025181 millionmainline and regional

Revenue per employee$522K$59.07B ÷ 113,200

Source: Form 10-K FY2025 · per-employee figure calculated by eciffo

Growth: revenue vs. people

1.6×revenue, 2012 → 2025
$37.2B → $59.1B

1.3×employees, same years
88,000 → 113,200

YearRevenueEmployees

FY2012

$37.2B

88,000

FY2016

$36.6B

—

FY2018

$41.3B

—

FY2019

$43.3B

—

FY2020

$15.4B

—

FY2021

$24.6B

—

FY2022

$45.0B

—

FY2023

$53.7B

—

FY2024

$57.1B

107,300

FY2025

$59.1B

113,200

Calendar years. Revenue: SEC XBRL financial data from United's 10-K filings. Employees: Form 10-K (2012 via SEC XBRL, 2024, 2025). 2020 reflects the pandemic. Multiples calculated by eciffo.

Chief executives

No free-to-use photo.

May 2020 – today

Scott Kirby

Chief Executive Officer since May 2020 and a member of the board.

No free-to-use photo.

– 2020

Oscar Munoz

CEO who led United's 90th anniversary in 2016 and the 2019 decision to stay at Willis Tower.

Walter T. Varney founded Varney Air Lines, one of United's founding carriers, which flew its first airmail flight on April 6, 1926.

Source: Proxy statement 2026 · United press releases, Apr 6, 2016 and Mar 13, 2019

United Airlines's official social accounts

Accounts linked from the footer of united.com.

X (Twitter)@united ↗Instagram@united ↗TikTok@united ↗Facebookfacebook.com/united ↗YouTubeyoutube.com/united ↗LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-airlines ↗

United Airlines: questions people ask

Where is United Airlines' headquarters?

At Willis Tower, 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606. The building houses both United's principal executive office and its operations center.

Source: Form 10-K FY2025

Who designed United's offices in Willis Tower?

IA Interior Architects renovated 13 floors (740,000 sq ft), ending with the 28th-floor Tech Hub. Gensler designed the employee Amenity Hub, which achieved LEED Silver.

Source: IA Interior Architects project pages · Gensler project page

What is inside United's headquarters?

Engine-inspired light fixtures, a turbine coffee table, a winglet room divider and seat belts from retired planes, plus interconnecting stairs, wellness and mothers' rooms, a café with city views, an auditorium and a recording studio.

Source: IA Interior Architects project pages

How big is United's headquarters?

The renovated headquarters covers 13 floors and 740,000 sq ft (≈ 68,748 m²), with floors of about 50,000 sq ft. In 2012 United leased about 1.1 million sq ft for its headquarters and operations center downtown.

Source: IA Interior Architects · Form 10-K FY2012

How many people work at United Airlines?

About 113,200 at the end of 2025, about 83% of them represented by U.S. labor unions. More than 3,500 United employees work in Willis Tower.

Source: Form 10-K FY2025 · Gensler project page

Does United allow hybrid work at headquarters?

United's Chicago corporate job postings say the position “works a hybrid schedule from Willis Tower.” IA planned the floors for hoteling and hybrid teaming.

Source: United job posting WHQ00026936 · IA Interior Architects

What benefits does United offer?

Unlimited standby travel and discounted airfare, a 401(k) with company match, profit sharing for substantially all employees, medical, dental and vision plans, parental leave, a commuter benefit and an employee assistance program.

Source: careers.united.com/benefits · job posting WHQ00026936 · Form 10-K FY2025

How much do United employees make?

The median employee's total compensation was $96,670 in 2025. 2026 Chicago postings list base pay from $66,500–$86,616 for an analyst to $140,600–$183,108 for a senior manager.

Source: Proxy statement 2026 · United job postings

Where was United's headquarters before Willis Tower?

At 77 West Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago from 2007, and before that on a 106-acre campus at 1200 Algonquin Road in Elk Grove Township, near O'Hare.

Source: UAL Corporation Form 10-K, 1994, 2006 and 2007

Who is United's CEO?

Scott Kirby, Chief Executive Officer since May 2020.

Source: Proxy statement 2026

United Airlines Headquarters & offices · Chicago, Illinois

Thirteen floors of Willis Tower rebuilt with real aircraft parts — engine-shaped lights, a turbine coffee table and a winglet room divider.