For a long time, American Airlines has been in negotiations on a new wide body aircraft order. While there still hasn’t been a formal announcement, executives at the airline have recently been more transparent about their thinking — and it’s not necessarily what everyone would expect.
In short, a wide body aircraft order should arrive in the very near future, and it could be for up to 65 planes from either Airbus or Boeing, with deliveries in the 2030s.
American Ordering Wide Body Planes: Airbus and Boeing Both in Running
Among the “big three” US carriers, American has by far the weakest long haul network, especially when you take Latin America out of the equation. The airline primarily flies to joint venture markets, to Latin America, and does some seasonal summer flying to Europe.
This situation stems from a combination of strategic blunders — retiring the Boeing 757s, Boeing 767s, and Airbus A330s early — along with American’s failed strategy of over-focusing on domestic flying under Vasu Raja’s direction.
Looking at American’s current wide body fleet, the airline operates 67 Boeing 777s (47 777-200ERs and 20 777-300ERs), along with 70 Boeing 787s (37 787-8s and 33 787-9s). American’s remaining wide body order book includes just 19 787-9s — not a significant pipeline.
As a point of comparison, Delta has 78 wide body planes on order, while United has a jaw-dropping 135 wide body planes on order. American is increasingly falling behind on its wide body fleet, and ordering planes requires significant lead time, making the gap even harder to close quickly.
Insider JonNYC has shared that American is looking to place a new wide body aircraft order soon, and that it could go to either Airbus or Boeing, with a focus on wide body aircraft that are already flying today.
This week, American executives spoke more transparently about their plans, as reported by FlightGlobal:
- American is looking to order up to 65 planes to replace existing Boeing 777-200ERs. That’s an “up to” number, meaning it could include firm orders and options.
- The airline is in the “seventh or eighth inning” of making a decision — meaning a conclusion is very close.
- Planes are expected to be delivered in the 2030s, which isn’t surprising given current backlogs. American is even retrofitting 777-200ERs with new interiors, so those aircraft will remain in service for years to come.
- The order “could go either way” between Airbus and Boeing, giving Airbus a real shot despite American currently operating an all-Boeing wide body fleet.
Which Wide Body Aircraft Will American Select?
There are four wide body aircraft families in contention: the A330neo, A350, 777X, and 787. American executives have repeatedly stated they don’t want very high capacity long haul aircraft, which makes the 777X and A350 unlikely choices.
- 777X: It would be surprising if American orders the 777X. The plane isn’t yet certified, and it’s simply too large for an airline increasingly focused on lower-capacity operations.
- A350: Both variants are larger than American’s 787-9s, the plane is expensive, and demand for delivery slots is high.
That leaves the 787 and A330neo. Logically, American might simply continue expanding its 787 fleet and order the 787-10, the largest variant. It’s a fuel-efficient aircraft with strong per-seat economics, and American will eventually need to replace its aging 777-300ERs anyway.
The catch is that the 787 is expensive and comes with a long wait. Delta recently ordered the 787-10, and its first delivery won’t happen until 2031. Timeline may not be a dealbreaker for American, since it’s targeting 2030s deliveries either way.
That brings the A330neo into focus. Compared to the 787, the plane is somewhat cheaper, slightly smaller, and available with shorter lead times — all factors that could appeal to American given its current situation.
There’s also an executive angle worth noting. Nat Pieper, American’s fairly new Chief Commercial Officer, spent a decade at Delta, including time as VP of Fleet Strategy and Transactions — a period that coincided with Delta’s A330neo order. Pieper appears to be driving fleet strategy at American now, and his familiarity with the A330neo is another reason that aircraft could end up being selected.
It’s worth noting how costly American’s long haul fleet missteps have been. The airline retired its entire (ex-US Airways) A330 fleet at the start of the pandemic, even though many of those planes were relatively new. Rather than bring them back, American passed — and those aircraft are now being acquired by Vietnam’s Sun PhuQuoc Airways.
American carries significant debt yet has consistently prioritized new airframes over passenger experience. The airline has the youngest fleet among the big three US carriers, but the on-board product hasn’t always reflected that investment. American is now trying to course-correct, including installing seatback TVs on narrow body planes, though it feels like a belated effort.
Bottom Line
American is nearing a new wide body aircraft order, which isn’t surprising given the thin state of its order book. The airline is expected to order up to 65 planes from either Airbus or Boeing, with deliveries in the 2030s. A 777X or A350 order seems highly unlikely given their size and cost. The straightforward choice would be expanding the 787 fleet — potentially including the 787-10 — but an A330-900neo order is a genuine possibility, given the aircraft’s availability, manageable capacity, and lower price point relative to alternatives. Either way, a decision appears to be imminent.
What wide body plane do you think American will ultimately order?
