CHICAGO — United Airlines asked the government Monday for $1.8 billion in loan assistance, making it the biggest carrier to seek a loan guarantee from a program that was created to prop up the ailing industry after Sept. 11.

        The nation's No. 2 airline, which lost more than $2 billion since the attacks, is the third major carrier to seek federal guarantees. America West and US Airways have already received them.

        United said it asked the Air Transportation Stabilization Board to back 90 percent of a $2 billion private loan.

        Chairman and chief executive Jack Creighton called United “the perfect candidate” for the program because it was a target of the attacks. Two of the four planes seized by terrorists were United's; one was flown into the World Trade Center, and another crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

        “We're now burdened by short-term financing needs that are driven by the aftermath of Sept. 11 and aggravated by the weak economic recovery,” Mr. Creighton said. “While we continue to explore financing alternatives, we don't believe they will be sufficient because our access to the capital markets has been severely restricted.”

        The government made $10 billion in loan guarantees available to airlines that could meet stringent financial criteria as part of the airline bailout package approved by Congress last fall.

        US Airways asked this month for $900 million in loan guarantees. America West Airlines of Phoenix received $429 million in guarantees in December.

        Mr. Creighton had said United would apply if it got wage concessions from its workers, demonstrating to the government its commitment to return to financial stability. It has since ordered pay cuts for its 11,000 management and salaried employees, estimated at $430 million over three years, and reached a tentative pay-cut agreement with its 9,200 pilots worth another $520 million over three years.

        He said Monday that United has a strong recovery plan under way. “But without a solution to our near-term funding requirements we will diminish our prospects for growth when the economy recovers.”

        But federal approval is far from assured.

        Not only have mechanics and flight attendants at the majority employee-owned airline not agreed to cuts, United has been criticized within the industry for seeking government funds despite the fact it has been able to borrow money. Much of its trouble also dates to well before Sept. 11.

        “What the hell does the taxpayer need to subsidize (an airline) for if the company can go out and get it” in capital markets, Continental Airlines chief Gordon Bethune asked in scathing remarks to an industry group in New York last week.

        Some industry observers also suggest United is using the loan guarantee application to help win wage concessions. Along with US Airways, it has the industry's highest labor costs.

        “This does put additional pressure on the unions to consider wage reductions, and it would give them additional liquidity to deal with any further weakening of the economy or possible terrorism,” said independent airline analyst Ray Neidl. “The negative is that it is debt that's going to have to be serviced. It's going to raise their interest expense quite high.”

        Additionally, United already has received more than $650 million in government compensation in the airline rescue package.

        The carrier still hopes to broker a new wage agreement with its largest union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, representing 35,000 mechanics, aircraft cleaners, ramp workers and customer-service agents.

        IAM spokesman Joe Tiberi said the union's financial specialists are still reviewing United's proposal for 10 percent pay cuts and other contract changes.

        United had a whopping $2.9 billion cash and $3.4 billion in unencumbered aircraft as of March 31. But it has some impending financial obligations, including $1 billion in debt maturing by 2003.

        In addition to wage cuts, the airline has reduced capital spending plans by $3 billion and cut operating expenses in an attempt to end a string of seven straight money-losing quarters.

        Shares in United's parent company, UAL Corp., fell 46 cents to $11.49 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

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