American Airlines is evaluating a new widebody aircraft order and has opened discussions with both Airbus and Boeing as it plans the future of its long-haul fleet.
Chief executive Robert Isom confirmed during the airline's annual shareholders meeting that American has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to the two manufacturers and is assessing options for its next widebody acquisition.
"We currently have an RFP in the market and are actively engaging with both Airbus and Boeing as we evaluate our next order for wide-body aircraft," Isom said.
The move comes as American looks beyond its current aircraft commitments and begins planning for the eventual retirement of its Boeing 777 fleet in the 2030s.
"Given the long lead times associated with widebody deliveries and expected Boeing 777 retirements in the 2030s, now is the right time to define what comes next as we continue to expand and modernize our internationally capable fleet," Isom added.
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American currently operates 47 Boeing 777-200ERs, alongside 20 777-300ERs and 59 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline also has 19 additional widebody aircraft on order and purchase rights for 28 more.
American's evaluation comes later than those of its largest US network rivals. Unlike Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, which have already secured substantial widebody commitments in recent years, American has yet to place a comparable order and is only now beginning the process of selecting its next generation of long-haul aircraft.
The airline reduced its widebody fleet during the pandemic, retiring aircraft including the Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 767. Since then, growth in international travel has outpaced American's ability to add long-haul capacity.
One question is whether Airbus could return to American's widebody fleet. The airline inherited an order for Airbus A350s following its merger with US Airways, but cancelled the deal in 2018 before any aircraft were delivered.
Potential candidates could include the Boeing 787-9, which American already operates and whose capacity is closer to that of the airline's 273-seat Boeing 777-200ERs. Other possibilities include the Airbus A330-900neo and the Airbus A350-900, although the latter is typically configured with more than 300 seats in three classes.
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Larger aircraft such as the Boeing 777X could also be evaluated depending on American's long-term network and capacity requirements.
