American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) is in talks with Airbus about the proposed and tentative extra long-range version of the A321-200neo. Bloomberg has reported that the US carrier mulls the type as a replacement for its B757-200s.
The talks are reportedly at an early stage and no announcement is expected imminently.
ch-aviation understands from industry sources that Airbus may formally announce the launch of the A321neo(XLR) during the upcoming 2019 Paris Air Show in the second half of June. The type could offer up to 900 nautical miles extra range in comparison to the in-production A321neo(LR).
The deliveries of the A321neo(LR)s started in November 2018. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, there are currently five active units of the type globally - two operating for Arkia Israeli Airlines and one each for Air Transat, TAP Air Portugal, and La Compagnie.
American Airlines has thirty-four B757-200s. The average age of the aircraft is 19.6 years. The carrier owns all of the aircraft. The B757s are deployed predominantly on US domestic transcontinental services, as well as to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Latin America, and to select destinations in Europe (Reykjavik Keflavik, Shannon, and Edinburgh).
The 2011 American Airlines order for 130 A321-200neo (later downgraded to 100) has been widely seen as a factor that pushed Boeing to develop the B737 MAX.
The US carrier's narrowbody fleet currently includes 131 A319-100s, forty-eight A320-200s, 219 A321-200s, three A321neo, twenty-four grounded B737-8s, and 304 B737-800s. American Airlines also has outstanding orders for 97 more A321neo and seventy-six B737 MAX 8s.
