American Airlines nears widebody order of up to 65 jets

Closing in after a six-month contest

May said the contest between Boeing and Airbus has run for six or seven months, Aviation Week reported. Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper says it "could go either way".

The order would shape the long-haul cabin and range American Airlines can sell from the 2030s. It would also decide whether a second widebody type returns to its maintenance and pilot-training base. The requirement is up to 65 aircraft for delivery in the 2030s. They would replace 47 Boeing 777-200ERs. What is not public is how many of the up to 65 aircraft would be firm orders rather than options. No order has been confirmed.

Boeing gets credit inside the airline for fleet commonality: one widebody family keeps training, maintenance and spare parts simpler. Pieper says Airbus can make those points up economically.

Why the 777-200ERs force the decision

American Airlines' widebody fleet is all Boeing today. It flies 47 Boeing 777-200ERs, 20 Boeing 777-300ERs, 37 Boeing 787-8s and 33 Boeing 787-9s. The 777-200ERs average 25.8 years old, against 12.6 years for the 777-300ERs, according to Planespotters.net figures cited by Simple Flying. The 787 fleet averages 7.4 years, with the 787-8s at 8.3 years and the 787-9s at 6.4.

The age gap follows the pandemic shutdown: American Airlines retired 75 long-haul jets, about 40% of its long-haul-capable fleet. The airline then leaned on older 777s and waited for delayed 787s while competitors expanded. That is the capacity hole the new order is meant to close.

The Airbus case, and the A350 that got away

American Airlines has reversed itself on Airbus before. In 2018 it cancelled 22 Airbus A350s inherited from US Airways and ordered 47 more 787s instead, arguing that fleet simplification made the A350 uneconomic. It later sold its A350 simulator. Delivery slots may decide it: the A330-900neo could be easier to secure than more 787s. American Airlines still holds 19 more 787-9s on order and 28 options. CEO Robert Isom said in 2023 that the airline was such an important customer that a Boeing or Airbus backlog would not matter. View from the Wing concludes that it clearly does.

Pieper's record includes both manufacturers. He fronted Delta's 2014 order for 25 A350-900s and 25 A330-900neos.

What the October filing shows

The October fleet filing sets out the near-term pipeline. American Airlines exercised options for five additional Airbus aircraft that month and agreed to buy two used Boeing 777-200ERs in the fourth quarter of 2026. It lists 365 remaining new-aircraft commitments: 165 A320-family, 115 737-family, 19 787s and 66 E175s. Airbus deliveries remaining for 2026 fell to seven from 15 in the prior filing. The 2027 figure rose from 25 to 27. The 19 Dreamliners are scheduled as six in 2027, three in 2028 and 10 from 2029 onward. All 115 remaining 737s are due from 2029 onward.

Of 98 aircraft scheduled for 2027 and 2028, nine are widebodies.

What happens next

Boeing's 777-9 certification is currently slated for early 2027, and first delivery is now slated for 2027. An American Airlines test pilot was reportedly filmed flying the un-certified jet and described the aircraft as "AAmazing", InsideFlyer reported. Boeing has used more than 200 airline pilots in evaluations since 2021. The type is expected to carry about 426 passengers in a two-class layout, with range up to 8,000 nautical miles. View from the Wing sees the 777X as an eventual 777-300ER replacement rather than a 777-200ER one. American Airlines flies 20 Boeing 777-300ERs.

American Airlines has not said when it will announce the order, nor how many aircraft would be firm rather than options.