At the end of last week American Airlines President Robert Isom held a town hall meeting with pilots, a recording of which has been reviewed by View From The Wing. Isom outlined the airline’s aircraft fleet plans for 2021.
- Retirements: American retired about 150 mainline aircraft across Airbus A330-200s and A330-300s, Boeing 757s and 767s, and Embraer E-190s.
- Current utilization: 30% of their remaining aircraft are currently idled, across widebody and narrowbody aircraft. This doesn’t mean they’re parked, but many planes aren’t currently flying a full schedule (flying ‘light lines’).
- More 737 MAXs: The 24 Boeing MAXs that had been stored in Tulsa are coming back into the operation. There are 17 MAXs produced for American Airlines that have not yet been delivered. American will be trying to take delivery of 8-10 before end of 2020. By end of 2021 they’ll have 50 of the Boeing 737 MAXs in their fleet (half of airline’s 100 aircraft order).
- If demand doesn’t recover they could retire older 737s: Isom explained, “Depending how demand rebounds..my hope is we can have the vast majority of our aircraft deployed for next year..I don’t see for the long term, over 6-9 months, I don’t see having a new MAX out there flying that’s simply grounded some other aircraft. If we get to that point we’re going to get rid of the [older] aircraft.”
- Reconfiguring planes with more seats: By summer 2021 the entire 737-800 fleet will all
have been converted to the new 172 seat (Oasis) configuration. The Airbus A321 fleet will have its conversion completion timeline moved up to end of 2021/early 2022 (rather than end 2022). - Pace of new aircraft deliveries in the next 10 weeks: The airline expects 10 MAXs in December, 7 MAXs in 2021 by end of February, 3 more Airbus A321NXs being delivered in December and 1 additional Boeing 787 as well.
They’re taking on new planes despite massive debt. The airline will say the planes are fully financed and money is cheap, but surely it would have been cheaper to invest in planes they had and defer orders. They’re also taking massive government subsidies while spending on capital investments to make their domestic aircraft less comfortable, squeezing more passengers into the same amount of space. Some of that work is even being done in El Salvador.
Crushed knees for everyone!
@Gary,
Please provide your basis for the following statement as it is quite important to your story: “. . ., but surely it would have been cheaper to invest in planes they had and defer orders.”
That is the new American Spirit airlines.
All they need to do now is to cut fares to $99 coast to coast and $49 for 1000 mile or less flights. Spirit, Easyjet, Ryanair lookout the big dumb American is coming.
How do I tell if an aircraft has the Oasis configuration?
In tomorrow’s news American will remove all passenger seats and strap everyone in from hooks in the ceiling to allow to pack more bodies densely oN Flights
It’s truly going to redefine the meaning of an authentic cattle class
Bathrooms will be eliminated to improve yield and instead pans will be placed to catch all animal/passenger elimination
This will help differentiate First class better and the appropriate need to buy up for non animal like experience
Just flew with American Airlines and the SEATING SUCKS, not even enough room to put a “correct airline dog carrier” to transport new puppy under seat in front of me – not even 19 inches wide seat to back of seat in front – PATHETIC!
As incredible as it sounds, this is not the first time the reconfiguration noted by “Dwondermeant” has actually been “suggested” – albeit perhaps in jest – at AA . In the early “70 a “think tank” genius staffer proposed doing that vary thing on aircraft flying the JetExpress flights between DCA/NYC/BOS. Who knows “what goes around comes around……”
I’ve recently flown a retrofitted Oasis 737 in First and it was uncomfortable – no lumbar support and legs were uncomfortable. I reserved judgement once I found out it was an Oasis plane, but anything over 2 – 2 1/2 hours would be miserable – in First! I can only imagine what economy will be like.
I this environment I still can’t believe they’re doubling down on this Oasis LCC plan and not backtracking.
Actual “stand-up seating” has been around for a while. Check out
https://yourmileagemayvary.net/2019/07/03/could-stand-up-seats-in-airplanes-actually-finally-be-in-our-near-future/
and
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat-testing/index.html
YOUR COMMENT “INVEST IN PLANES THEY HAVE”?
AA has the youngest fleet.
A time comes when aircraft must be replaced for reliability and cost savings.
Look no further than Delta.
Delta has old planes.
767,757,etc..
You can’t keep putting lipstick on a pig.
AA has debt, but, so will Delta.
Time to purchase aircraft and spend some cash!
Love AA 777,787 and airbus aircraft.