American Places Orders And Options For 560 Airplanes
In a move that was largely telegraphed to the media last week,
American Airlines announced a massive fleet replacement plan on
Wednesday that includes orders and options for as many as 300
Boeing 737's, and 260 Airbus A320 family aircraft.
The agreement includes 100 Next-Generation 737s, with options
for an additional 40 airplanes. Boeing and American Airlines will
work to finalize the agreement over the next several weeks, at
which time it will be a firm order and posted to the Boeing Orders
and Deliveries website.
In addition, American Airlines has committed to order a variant
of the 737 featuring new, more fuel-efficient engines, pending
final airplane configuration and launch approval of the program by
the Boeing board of directors. This commitment for 100 airplanes,
with options for 60 more, is the first of many anticipated for this
variant. The airplane would be powered by CFM International's
LEAP-X engine.
"This agreement highlights our focus on investing in our fleet
for the benefit of our shareholders, customers and employees," said
Tom Horton, president, AMR Corp., the parent company of American
Airlines and American Eagle. "The addition of these Next-Generation
737s will play a critical role in replacing our narrowbody fleet
with more fuel-efficient aircraft offering state-of-the-art
customer features."
But American will also reach across the Atlantic for nearly half
of the airplanes ordered. Airbus says AMR has signed a firm
contract for American to acquire 260 Airbus A320 Family aircraft.
The contract calls for flexibility for the airline to take delivery
of A319s, A320s and A321s, with 130 featuring Airbus’ New
Engine Option (neo). All 260 aircraft will feature wingtip
devices known as Sharklets.
The deal between Airbus and American was announced Wednesday at
the airline’s Dallas/Ft. Worth hub. The airline plans
to announce its choice of engines to power the aircraft at a later
date.
“We are pleased to add the Airbus single-aisle family as
an important component of our fleet modernization strategy,”
said AMR and American Airlines President Tom Horton. “The
A320 Family of aircraft will help us achieve improved fuel
efficiency and other operational savings, while offering our
customers state-of-the-art technology and an enhanced travel
experience. We look forward to a successful partnership with
Airbus.”