American Airlines to Order 70 Widebody Jets

American Airlines is looking to buy up to 70 widebody jets from Airbus or Boeing, and a deal could come as early as this week, during its earnings call.

As part of efforts to replace its Boeing 777-200ER widebody fleet, which supports a large share of its international network, American Airlines is seeking a replacement to fill the void these aircraft will leave when they retire.

The airline is reportedly considering the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, with the latter having a more complicated fleet history due to cancelled orders, compared with the 787, which is operational and a major part of current operations.

While an order could come as soon as this week and final decisions are yet to be confirmed, a purchase would be a long-term addition, with delivery and replacement targeted for the 2030s as executives weigh the candidates and what they see as the most suitable option.

An order this week, possibly?

American Airlines has been targeting new widebodies for some time, and JonNYC, an industry reporter, flagged that an announcement could come as soon as the quarterly earnings call or in subsequent meetings.

If that timing is accurate, it could arrive on Wednesday, 21 October, or Thursday, 22 October, before the markets open. The airline has its third-quarter earnings call scheduled for 0730 Central Time on October 22, but that doesn’t confirm an order reveal will come then.

A decision on widebodies, however, is of paramount importance as the airline looks to build its own Pacific operation through Los Angeles and needs a young fleet with strong efficiency metrics to reap the full rewards of that expansion after years of neglect.

From 2030 onward, the airline’s chief commercial officer, Nat Pieper, has said on the record that the Pacific expansion is a strong focus for the next decade and that final work is underway on the next widebody order to support that ambition.

Details on the order’s makeup, or the aircraft type, remain unclear, despite candidates being considered. Splitting the transaction into firm orders and options would give American Airlines the flexibility to scale its commitment over the next decade if needed, without breaking the bank or renegotiating with manufacturers.

American Airlines eyes Airbus or Boeing

Reports on what American Airlines has been considering have been brief; however, with only a handful of available products that meet the U.S. carrier’s needs, the A350 from Airbus and the 787 from Boeing are reportedly the top options.

Multiple variants from these families are reportedly of interest, with the jets on the shortlist as the airline works through candidates and the procurement process to determine the best fit.

Two widebodies, the Airbus A330neo and Boeing 777X, have reportedly been ruled out, especially the former, with Pieper, in an interview with Cranky Flyer, calling it the perfect Atlantic airplane; however, the focus of this order is heavily on the Pacific.

The A330neo seems to have been overlooked despite the A330ceo’s presence, and the Boeing 777X is seen as too large despite replacing the 777-200ER. Many airlines have opted for the A350 or 787 over the 777X this decade, valuing flexibility for networks that aren’t hub-and-spoke oriented.

Whichever direction American Airlines goes, or if it splits, the replacement will need to replace almost 50 Boeing 777-200ER jets averaging close to 26 years of age and expected to fly into the 2030s. The delivery process for the new order will help phase out these Boeing jets, but it will also contribute to long wait times for new aircraft.

For American Airlines, there’s urgency to place an order sooner rather than later to secure capacity for the next decade, as bulk orders from other airlines, paired with slowed production, have pushed lead times into the 2030s.

With reports of up to 70 aircraft, which could expand with options, American Airlines isn’t just looking at a 1-for-1 replacement of the 777-200ERs with whatever it orders, but also at giving it the units to grow in the Pacific, as it intends to rebuild here, as its competitors have done.