American Airlines surprises with order for 90 Embraer E175 jets

Rumors about an order for Embraer E175 jets by American Airlines were confirmed on Monday, but surpassed the most optimistic forecasts.

The US carrier closed a massive deal, with 90 firm orders and 43 purchase options and which could exceed US$7 billion.

American had already revealed that it was negotiating with Embraer, but it was believed to have an order for up to 50 E175 aircraft.

The airline is one of the largest operators of the aircraft, which has 76 seats in two classes due to the scope clause agreed with the crew union.

“Over the past decade, we have invested heavily to modernize and simplify our fleet, which is the largest and youngest among U.S. network carriers,” said American’s CEO Robert Isom. “These orders will continue to fuel our fleet with new, more efficient aircraft so we can continue to deliver the best network and record-setting operational reliability for our customers.”

“The E175 is truly the backbone of the U.S. aviation network, connecting all corners of the country. One of the world’s most successful aircraft programs, the E175 was upgraded with a series of modifications that improved fuel burn by 6.5%,” said Arjan Meijer, President and CEO Embraer Commercial Aviation.

In addition to Embraer, American Airlines also announced significant orders from Airbus and Boeing for a total of 260 new aircraft.