Rumors: American Airlines Nearing Narrowbody Order With Boeing And Airbus

American Airlines is close to announcing an aircraft order for about 100 narrowbody aircraft, with most of it going to European manufacturer Airbus.

New narrowbody order?

According to Reuters, two people familiar with details of the reported negotiations said American Airlines is close to placing orders for new narrowbodies with both Airbus and Boeing. The American aircraft manufacturer will have a smaller chunk of the order, which is expected to include the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Airbus A321neos. Reports suggest that the airline is also considering the largest variant of the MAX family, the -10, which is yet to be certified.

Sources say the order could be announced as early as March 4, when the airline will host an investor meeting. Following the incident in which a door plug came off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 and several flaws were discovered in Boeing’s quality control processes, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom heavily criticized Boeing. Isom said that Boeing needed to get their act together as running an airline is already difficult enough, so operating reliable equipment is an absolute.

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Simple Flying contacted American Airlines, Boeing, and Airbus, but did not receive a reply at the time of publication.

Boeing or Airbus?

Chief Financial Officer Devon May told Reuters that American was looking to place an order for deliveries after 2027 and that aircraft from the three major manufacturers, including Embraer, were being considered. May added that the airline would take current events into consideration. A long history of troubles and quality lapses at Boeing have propelled Airbus to a higher annual delivery rate than Boeing for five straight years. The European manufacturer has also managed to get ahead in order numbers, with 2,094 net orders in 2023, compared to Boeing’s 1,314.

Because of the January incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Boeing it would cap its monthly 737 MAX production, halting the manufacturer’s expansion plans. The American manufacturer was already facing delivery delays of its aircraft, which have affected American Airlines and several other carriers. Some carriers are even demanding that Boeing take financial responsibility for those delays. If American orders any Boeing aircraft, it will have to see how the next few years play out before making any network plans.

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Airbus has a good problem: a massive backlog that stretches years and includes more than 8,000 aircraft. This backlog is primarily for Airbus A320 family aircraft, with the latest-generation neo (new engine option) bringing extreme success to Airbus. Despite ongoing issues with the Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, which have and will continue to interrupt several fleets, airlines continue to order the Airbus narrowbodies.

There is also significant anticipation for the Airbus A321XLR. Its entry into service (EIS) is set to take place in Q3 2024, one quarter later than previously planned. During the annual press conference in Toulouse, CEO Guillaume Faury told the press that the aircraft was in the final stages of certification. Shortly after, the first airframe that will go to launch customer Aer Lingus was spotted in Hamburg with the airline’s colors on its tail.

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It is expected to enter commercial service in the fourth quarter of this year.