American Airlines signs world's largest aircraft order

American Airlines (AA) has signed a firm order for 200 new planes from Boeing, plus 260 new aircraft from Airbus. The airline, which plans to take delivery of the new single-aisle aircraft within the next five years, currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of some 600 aircraft. Tom Horton, AA’s president, said the new aircraft represent an “important component” of AA’s fleet modernisation strategy. From Boeing, AA has ordered 200 single-aisle Boeing 737s, with the option to purchase 100 more. The aircraft manufacturer has committed to creating an as yet unnamed new model for the order, with more fuel efficient engines. From Airbus, the US airline has ordered 260 planes from the single-aisle A320 Family. The contract is flexible, which means the airline is likely to take delivery of a mix of A319s, A320s and A321s. Some 130 of the new Airbus planes to join AA’s fleet will be the next-generation NEO (new engine option) model, which will feature more fuel efficient engines and fuel-saving wingtip devices called sharklets. Horton said: “The A320 Family of aircraft will help us achieve improved fuel efficiency and other operational savings, while offering our customers state-of-the-art technology and an enhanced travel experience.” On the Boeing order, he added: “The addition of these Next-Generation 737s will play a critical role in replacing our narrowbody fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft offering state-of-the-art customer features.” AA also has a backlog of orders with Boeing for 64 aircraft: 51 737-800s, seven 777-200ERs and six 777-300ERs, plus a purchase agreement to acquire an initial 42 787-9 Dreamliners. For more information visit aa.com, airbus.com, boeing.com. Report by Sara Turner