American Airlines has booked an expansive series of orders for 260 new aircraft with Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer, aiming to update and replace its current fleet of narrow-body aircraft. The total includes 85 new 737 MAX 10 jets from Boeing, 85 Airbus A321neo aircraft, and 90 new Embraer E175s. The orders also include options or purchase rights for a further 193 new aircraft.
The total cost was not announced by American, though it could total up to $22 billion based on the book values reported for each model.
Also not disclosed were the expected delivery dates for the new aircraft – though it is apparent that American, and many other carriers, are placing high-volume orders now in order to secure placement in the heavily weighted order logs at the three plane builders.
"Over the past decade, we have invested heavily to modernize and simplify our fleet, which is the largest and youngest among U.S. network carriers," stated the carrier’s CEO Robert Isom. "These orders will continue to fuel our fleet with newer, more efficient aircraft so we can continue to deliver the best network and record-setting operational reliability for our customers."
With Boeing, American also plans to convert existing orders for 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8 into 737 MAX 10s – though it’s noteworthy that the MAX 10 has yet to be certified by FAA, and FAA’s ongoing focus on the 737 MAX program may prolong that effort further.
Airbus noted that American is already the world's largest operator of A320 series aircraft, and the world’s largest operator of the A321neo and A321ceo versions, and the largest North American customer for the A321neo.
Currently, many of American’s feeder regional routes are based on a Embraer E-Jet aircraft, and the supplier noted that the carrier aims to replace the 50-seat single-class regional jets by the end of the decade, and to serve small and medium-sized markets with larger regional aircraft.
