{"id":144844,"date":"2026-06-04T02:34:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T21:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=144844"},"modified":"2026-06-04T01:01:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:31:43","slug":"american-airlines-may-ditch-boeing-for-airbus-in-widebody-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/04\/american-airlines-may-ditch-boeing-for-airbus-in-widebody-order\/","title":{"rendered":"American Airlines May Ditch Boeing 787 for Airbus A330 in New Widebody Order"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FORT WORTH-<\/strong> American Airlines (AA)<\/a> appears increasingly likely to place a new wide-body aircraft order in the near future, as the carrier looks to rebuild a long-haul fleet that has fallen behind its main rivals. Industry sources suggest the order could go to either Airbus or Boeing, which is a notable shift for a carrier most observers expected to stay loyal to Boeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many assume American would simply expand its Boeing 787 fleet, analysts believe the Airbus A330-900neo could emerge as a surprise choice. The airline, which operates major hubs including Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), trails both Delta Air Lines (DL)<\/a> and United Airlines (UA)<\/a> in wide-body orders, making fresh commitments a growing priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"American
Photo: Cl\u00e9ment Alloing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why American Airlines Needs New Wide Body Jets?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Among the three largest US carriers, American holds the weakest long haul network, particularly once Latin America is set aside. The airline tends to focus on joint venture markets, Latin American routes, and seasonal summer flying to Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several earlier decisions contributed to this position. American retired its Boeing 757s, Boeing 767s, and Airbus A330s early, and analysts point to an over-reliance on domestic flying as part of a broader strategy that did not deliver lasting results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current wide-body fleet includes 67 Boeing 777s<\/a>, made up of 47 Boeing 777-200ERs and 20 Boeing 777-300ERs, along with 70 Boeing 787s, split between 37 Boeing 787-8s and 33 Boeing 787-9s. The remaining order book contains just 19 Boeing 787-9s, which is a modest figure for a carrier of American’s size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"American
Photo: Next Trip Network | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How American Compares to Delta and United<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The gap becomes clear when measured against competitors. Delta has 78 wide body planes on order, while United carries a striking backlog of 135 wide body aircraft, OMAAT<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American therefore, risks falling further behind, especially because new aircraft require significant lead time before delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest rumor, shared by industry source JonNYC<\/em>, indicates American may place a new wide-body order soon, with either Airbus or Boeing in contention. The possibility of an Airbus order stands out, since most observers expected American to continue with Boeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AA:
Has come up quite a few times at this point, but, FWIW, rumors of a new aircraft order again.<\/p>— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) June 2, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>