FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA), which has been working on placing orders for some time, might declare it on March 4, 2024. The US carrier will announce the order for narrowbody and widebody aircraft.
Aviation watchdog JonNYC has tagged the news as a Rumor and has not confirmed it; however, most of his insights are true and can be counted upon.
American Airlines to Order A350
Last year in July, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom informed the company’s employees, stating, ‘We will require aircraft, and it would not be unexpected for us to commit some narrowbody aircraft as we move beyond 2027.’
The Fort Worth/Dallas-based carrier is planning to replace its aging Boeing 777-200 with new planes. The 777-200 can fly some of the longest routes in the world. But the Airbus A350 is an unbeatable and game-changer aircraft.
In terms of widebody aircraft, incorporating the A350 into the fleet would mark a significant shift in the airline’s strategy, contrary to the trend of the past seven years, where efforts were made to streamline their operations by reducing diversity.
American Airlines retired a considerable number of aircraft during the pandemic. While the carrier found utility for its Boeing 767s as freighters and met the demand from Northern Pacific for some 757s, they continued paying leases on Airbus A330s.
The reduction in the available fleet hindered their ability to capitalize on the surge in travel to Europe last year, which proved lucrative for Delta Air Lines (DL) and United Airlines (UA).
Despite this, American Airlines defended its stance, asserting that the simplification of their widebody fleet—exclusively Boeing with a focus on 787/777 models—positions them favorably for the future.
A350 or 787-10?
It would be quite remarkable for the airline, especially considering it had canceled the A350 order inherited from US Airways in spring 2018, to expand its widebody fleet by introducing the intricacies of this new aircraft type. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that American Airlines already possesses an A350 simulator.
The airline has dismissed the idea of a 787-10 as a substitute for its Boeing 777-300ERs. However, opting for the A350 would likely involve exploring new destinations that American has been hesitant to serve, deeming them potentially unprofitable.
Such a decision would probably necessitate a reevaluation of their route strategy.
Narrowbody Order Options
Despite 737 MAX issues and the American CEO’s disappointment with Boeing, they might choose the 737 MAX 10 over its counterpart, Airbus A321neo. The reason for this is the difficulty in getting early slots from Airbus, reported Gary Leff from Viewfromthewing.
Further, the 737 MAX 10 is the perfect replacement for its old Airbus A319s, A320s and 737NGs.
In the Paris Air Show 2023, Airbus almost closed the delivery slots for its narrowbody aircraft for this decade as Indian airlines placed record orders with European manufacturers.
However, due to ongoing 737 MAX delivery delays and production limitations, Airbus recently went into talks with United Airlines (UA) to convert 737 MAX 10 orders into A321neo.
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