American Airlines has begun formal discussions with aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing on the next phase of its long-haul fleet renewal plans, as the carrier looks to replace its ageing Boeing 777-200ERs.
Speaking at the airline’s annual shareholder meeting, CEO Robert Isom confirmed that American has issued requests for proposals and is “actively engaging” with Airbus and Boeing as it evaluates its next widebody order. The Fort Worth-based carrier currently operates 47 777-200ERs, with an average age of around 25 years.
American already has 19 Boeing 787-9s on order, plus options for 28 more. An additional Dreamliner order would also give the airline fleet commonality, as it currently operates both the -8 and -9 variants. However, given American’s extensive narrowbody relationship with the European manufacturer through its Airbus A320 Family and A321XLR commitments, Airbus is expected to compete strongly with both its A330neo and A350 Family. Meanwhile, American is trimming parts of its domestic network in response to rising fuel costs.
The airline will temporarily suspend six routes from August 5 to October 5, including Los Angeles to Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Washington Dulles, plus Charlotte to Ontario, California and Sacramento. The carrier said the move forms part of seasonal capacity adjustments and stressed that no routes are being suspended indefinitely.
