American Airlines is negotiating orders for up to 100 narrow-body planes with both Airbus and Boeing.
The airline appears to be in talks with both aircraft manufacturers to replace its narrow-body fleet with either the Airbus A320neo or Boeing 737 MAX aircraft types.
According to data from ch-aviation.com, American Airlines now has commitments for 165 aircraft, including 79 Boeing 737 MAXs, 50 A321XLRs, and four Airbus A321neos.
The A320ceo and 737 NextGeneration (NG) families have an average age of 16.6, according to data from ch-aviation.com, although its narrow-body fleet is getting older.
If American Airlines were to place a definitive order with either manufacturer, it would be the second recent purchase of 100 single-aisle aircraft by a US-based airline.
In addition to 200 787s (100 firms, 100 options), United Airlines placed an order for 100 737 MAXs in December 2022. This order was split between exercising 44 options and purchasing 56 brand-new airplanes.
After placing an order for 460 aircraft in July 2011 (260 Airbus A320 family and 200 Boeing 737s), American Airlines pushed Boeing to introduce the 737 MAX, the next generation of the 737 aircraft family. One hundred of those were for 737s equipped with new engines that Boeing finally named the MAX.
The airline now runs 51 Boeing 737 MAX and 70 Airbus A321neo aircraft, according to statistics from ch-aviation.com.
