American Airlines Orders 260 Airbus, Boeing Aircraft

DALLAS — American Airlines (AA) has ordered 260 new aircraft, including 85 Airbus A321neo, 85 Boeing 737-10, and 90 Embraer E175 aircraft. Additionally, they have options and purchase rights for an additional 193 aircraft.

American has converted 30 existing 737-8 orders to 737 MAX 10 aircraft as part of their Boeing order. These orders are part of AA's ongoing efforts to expand premium seats across their narrowbody and regional fleets and support the long-term strength of their domestic and short-haul international network.

The airline has been steadily growing its fleet over the years. Since 2014, they have taken delivery of more than 600 mainline and regional aircraft. With this latest announcement, American now has 440 aircraft on order, extending their aircraft order book into the next decade to meet the growing demand for air travel.

The new aircraft orders will help smooth the delivery schedule in the coming years and allow AA to remain within its previously announced guidance for capacity and capital expenditures, AA says. The A321 and A321neo aircraft have served AA customers across the U.S. and short-haul international destinations for the past decade.

Upgauged Regional Fleet, Airbus Fleet Enhancements

The carrier states it is focused on bringing larger, dual-class regional aircraft into its fleet to enhance connectivity from smaller markets to the rest of its global network. By the decade's end, AA plans to retire all its 50-seat single-class regional jets and continue serving small and medium-size markets with larger regional jets. Operated by AA's regional carriers, AA's new E175s will feature premium seating, high-speed satellite Wi-Fi, and in-seat power. This move will help modernize and enhance AA's regional fleet.

To meet the growing demand for a premium travel experience, the airline announced it would retrofit its A319 and A320 aircraft starting in 2025. The retrofit will include power at every seat, larger overhead bins, and new seats with updated trim and finish. The A319 fleet will have more premium seats, increasing domestic first-class seats to 12.

The retrofit of the A320 fleet, of whose family AA is currently the world's largest single-carrier operator, will also raise the domestic first-class seat count to 16. With these planned enhancements and the expected deliveries of new aircraft, AA projects its fleet's premium seating to grow by more than 20% by 2026.

As expected, AA's recent aircraft orders—whichcomplement existing orders of Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR long-haul aircraft—demonstrate its push to expand its fleet, supporting the airline's measured growth strategy, improving connectivity, and ensuring the long-term strength of their domestic and short-haul international network.