American Airlines Weighs Airbus Option for Long-Haul Fleet
American Airlines is considering buying Airbus widebodies to address its dwindling long-haul order book, which stands at just 19 jets. This would be a significant departure from its traditional partnership with Boeing, as it currently operates 67 Boeing 777s and 70 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The airline's decision to explore the Airbus option is driven by the fact that the A330neo is cheaper, right-sized, and available sooner than the 787. Moreover, American has a pool of pilots who were once qualified on the A330.
This move would be ironic, as American previously retired its entire ex-US Airways A330 fleet at the start of the pandemic and chose not to bring them back when demand returned. Those jets are now being acquired by Vietnam's Sun PhuQuoc Airways.