American Airlines announces orders for 260 new aircraft, including 85 Airbus A321neo, 85 Boeing 737 MAX 10 and 90 Embraer E175 aircraft. The orders also include options and purchase rights for an additional 193 aircraft. As part of the Boeing order, American has upgauged 30 existing 737 MAX 8 orders to 737 MAX 10 aircraft.
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“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,” said American’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.”
Since 2014, American has taken delivery of more than 600 mainline and regional aircraft. With this announcement, American has 440 aircraft on order, extending its aircraft order book into the next decade so the airline can continue to meet the growing demand for air travel.
“We are very pleased to continue our longstanding partnerships with Airbus, Boeing and Embraer with these orders,” said American’s Chief Financial Officer Devon May. “As we look into the next decade, American will have a steady stream of new aircraft alongside a balanced level of capital investment, which will allow us to expand our network and deliver for our shareholders.”
A319 and A320 retrofitting
To serve customers’ growing demand for a premium travel experience, American will be retrofitting its A319 and A320 aircraft beginning in 2025. The retrofit will refresh the interior with power at every seat, larger overhead bins and new seats with updated trim and finish.
American’s A319 fleet will be outfitted with more premium seats for a total of 12 domestic first class seats. The A320 fleet retrofits will increase the aircraft’s domestic first class seat count to 16. With the planned refresh of existing aircraft and the expected deliveries of new aircraft, premium seating in American’s fleet is expected to grow by more than 20% by 2026.