FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) has exercised options for five additional Airbus aircraft and committed to purchase two Boeing 777-200ERs currently operating in its fleet during the fourth quarter of 2026. The commitments appear in its latest quarterly filing rather than its earnings release.
The American Airlines aircraft additions increase its remaining Airbus A320 family commitments to 165 and reduce its Embraer E175 backlog to 66. The airline now has 365 new aircraft scheduled for delivery, including 19 Boeing 787s and 115 Boeing 737s.
American Airlines Expands Aircraft Commitments
American Airlines disclosed the additional aircraft commitments in its latest quarterly filing, which also updates its delivery schedule for aircraft already on order.
The airline exercised options for five additional Airbus A320 family aircraft during the third quarter of 2026. These commitments follow six Airbus options exercised in July, which appeared in the previous quarterly filing.
American also committed to purchasing two Boeing 777-200ER aircraft currently operating in its fleet from leaseholders. The airline expects to complete the purchases during the fourth quarter of 2026.
An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed the commitments, stating:
“As noted in the most recent 10-Q filing, American has committed to purchase 2 Boeing 777-200ERs that currently operate in its fleet from leaseholders. The airline has also exercised options for 5 additional A320 family aircraft deliveries.”
The two Boeing 777-200ER purchases represent the only newly disclosed widebody commitments in the filing.
American had been expected to announce a larger long-haul aircraft order. During its earnings call, airline executives indicated that they were close to finalizing a major aircraft deal, which they expected to announce before the end of 2026.
However, the latest filing does not include that anticipated order. The two Boeing 777-200ER purchases remain the only newly disclosed widebody commitments, View from the Wing reported.
American Airlines’ Remaining Aircraft Orders
American Airlines now has 365 aircraft remaining on order across its Airbus, Boeing and Embraer fleets.
The updated schedule includes 12 deliveries for the remainder of 2026, 47 in 2027, 51 in 2028 and 255 from 2029 onward.
| Aircraft family | Rest of 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 onward | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320 family | 7 | 27 | 31 | 100 | 165 |
| Boeing 737 family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115 | 115 |
| Boeing 787 family | 0 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| Embraer E175 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 30 | 66 |
| Total | 12 | 47 | 51 | 255 | 365 |
The schedule shows that American’s near-term deliveries will primarily support its domestic and regional operations.
The airline expects to receive 98 aircraft during 2027 and 2028 combined. Only nine of those aircraft will be widebodies, comprising six Boeing 787s in 2027 and three in 2028.
The remaining 89 aircraft will consist of Airbus narrowbodies and Embraer regional jets.
Airbus A320 Family Deliveries Change
American’s Airbus delivery schedule changed following the exercise of five additional options.
The airline’s previous quarterly filing listed 167 remaining Airbus aircraft. The latest filing reduces that total to 165 despite the five additional aircraft commitments.
The revised schedule moves deliveries between years and reflects the updated aircraft purchase commitments.
| Remaining Airbus deliveries | Previous filing | New filing |
|---|---|---|
| Remainder of 2026 | 15 | 7 |
| 2027 | 25 | 27 |
| 2028 | 36 | 31 |
| 2029 onward | 91 | 100 |
| Total remaining | 167 | 165 |
American now expects seven Airbus A320 family deliveries during the remainder of 2026, compared with 15 previously scheduled.
The 2027 schedule increases from 25 to 27 aircraft, while the 2028 schedule decreases from 36 to 31.
Deliveries from 2029 onward increase from 91 to 100 aircraft.
The revised schedule therefore reflects a shift in expected delivery timing alongside the additional option exercises.
Boeing 787 and 737 Delivery Schedules Remain Unchanged
American’s Boeing 787 delivery schedule remains unchanged in the latest filing.
The airline has 19 Boeing 787 aircraft remaining on order, including six scheduled for 2027, three for 2028, and ten for 2029 onward.
The airline also retains 115 Boeing 737 deliveries, all scheduled for 2029 or later.
The filing does not disclose additional Boeing 787 or 737 commitments during the quarter.
The two Boeing 777-200ER purchases are separate from these remaining new-aircraft delivery schedules because the aircraft currently operate in American’s fleet and are being acquired from leaseholders.
Embraer E175 Backlog Falls to 66 Aircraft
American’s remaining Embraer E175 commitments decreased from 72 to 66 aircraft during the quarter.
The reduction matches six E175 aircraft purchases during the reporting period.
The updated schedule includes five deliveries during the remainder of 2026, 14 in 2027, 17 in 2028, and 30 from 2029 onward.
The aircraft will support American’s regional operations, while the airline continues to receive Airbus narrowbodies and Boeing widebodies under its existing delivery plans.
American Airlines’ Near-Term Fleet Strategy
American’s latest aircraft commitments indicate that its near-term fleet expansion will focus primarily on narrowbody and regional aircraft rather than new widebody deliveries.
Of the 98 aircraft scheduled for delivery during 2027 and 2028, 89 will be Airbus narrowbodies or Embraer regional jets.
The remaining nine will be Boeing 787 widebodies.
The airline is also planning cabin improvements across its existing fleet, which will contribute to changes in the passenger experience before a larger number of new widebody aircraft arrive.
American plans to introduce additional First Class and Main Cabin Extra seats, seatback entertainment screens and refurbished cabins on narrowbody aircraft, with much of the work expected to begin in 2028.
The airline also plans to introduce its new premium suites and improved Premium Economy seats on widebody aircraft.
These cabin upgrades will complement the aircraft delivery program by improving passenger amenities across the existing fleet.
American Airlines’ Aircraft Order Outlook
American Airlines’ latest quarterly filing confirms five additional Airbus option exercises, two Boeing 777-200ER purchases and six fewer remaining Embraer E175 commitments.
The airline now has 365 new aircraft scheduled for delivery, including 165 Airbus A320 family aircraft, 115 Boeing 737s, 19 Boeing 787s and 66 Embraer E175s.
The Boeing 787 and 737 schedules remain unchanged, while the Airbus delivery timeline has shifted across the remaining years.
American has not yet disclosed the larger long-haul aircraft order anticipated following its earnings call.
Until that announcement, the airline’s disclosed widebody commitments consist of the two Boeing 777-200ERs acquired from leaseholders and its existing Boeing 787 delivery schedule.
The near-term fleet changes will therefore depend on existing aircraft deliveries, the two Boeing 777 purchases, and planned cabin retrofits.
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