Fleet boost: American Airlines orders 260 new jets from Airbus, Boeing and Embraer

by James Wilkinson

American Airlines has announced 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 and as part of the Boeing order, American has upgauged 30 existing 737 MAX 8 orders to 737 MAX 10 aircraft.

The orders are part of American’s continued investment to expand premium seats across its narrowbody and regional fleets and support the long-term strength of the airline’s domestic and short-haul international network, according to American’s CEO Robert Isom.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Isom said since 2014, American has taken delivery of more than 600 mainline and regional aircraft and 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.”

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