American Airlines Eyes Airbus A330-900neo for Widebody Fleet Replacement
American Airlines is considering ordering up to 65 new widebody aircraft, including the Airbus A330-900neo, to replace its aging Boeing 777-200ER fleet. The airline had previously retired its entire A330 fleet during the pandemic, but now sees an opportunity to bring back a similar model.
The decision is a reversal of American's earlier strategy to simplify its fleet and reduce costs by retiring younger aircraft. However, this move may not be without irony, as the airline took a $1.5 billion non-cash impairment charge tied to early aircraft retirements in 2020.
Nat Pieper, Chief Commercial Officer at American Airlines, has intimate knowledge of the A330neo's economics and may favor Airbus over Boeing due to potentially lower pricing and better delivery availability.