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| Farewell Boeing 757-200 from American Airlines fleet Photo American Airlines |
The US mega-carrier American Airlines recently announced plans to accelerate the retirement of 99 older, less fuel-efficient aircraft from its fleet a fair bit sooner than it had originally planned.
Following the record lack of demand, travel bans and restrictions caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, American is rapidly redesigning its flying schedule for the foreseeable future and that basically means a lot less aircraft will be required to be in the air where they rightly belong. So the massive airline is taking this opportunity to retire a total of five aircraft types all around the same time.
American has officially retired the Embraer E190 and Boeing 767 fleets, which were originally scheduled to retire by the end of 2020. The airline has also accelerated the retirement of its Boeing 757s and Airbus A330-300s. Additionally, American is retiring 19 Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft operated by PSA Airlines.
These changes remove operating complexity and will bring forward cost savings and efficiencies associated with operating fewer aircraft types. It will also help American focus on flying more advanced aircraft, the carrier will continue to take deliveries of the Airbus A321neo it has on order, plus Boeing 787 jets and even more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft - when and if it is ever cleared for the skies again.
American’s narrowbody fleet also becomes more simplified with just two cockpit types – the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 families. This benefits American’s operational performance through training efficiency and streamlined maintenance.
American continues to evaluate its schedule and remains committed to caring for customers on life’s journey. These changes will help American continue to provide a reliable travel experience around the world, even during these uncertain times.
Here’s a snapshot of the aircraft exiting American’s fleet:
Airbus A330-300
Airbus A330-300
- Joined the US Airways fleet in 2000 prior to joining American’s fleet in 2013.
- Nine A330-300s in the fleet as of Jan. 1, 2020.
- Flew mainly trans-Atlantic routes, with some domestic service.
Boeing 757-200
Boeing 757-200
- Joined the America West fleet in 1987 and American in 1989.
- 34 757-200s in the fleet as of Jan. 1, 2020.
- Flew mostly mainland domestic and Hawaii routes, with some trans-Atlantic and Latin America service.
Boeing 767-300ER
Boeing 767-300ER
- Joined American in 1988.
- 17 767-300ERs in the fleet as of Jan. 1, 2020.
- Flew mainly trans-Atlantic routes, with some domestic, Hawaii and Latin America service.
Embraer E190 — Blue Sky News/Pittsburgh International Airport
Embraer E190
- Joined the US Airways fleet in 2006 prior to joining American’s fleet in 2013.
- 20 E190s in the fleet as of Jan. 1, 2020.
- Flew domestic routes, with extensive support for American Airlines Shuttle.
A Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft operated by PSA Airlines.
Bombardier CRJ200
- Joined the PSA Airlines fleet in 2003.
- 19 CRJ200s in the fleet as of Jan. 1, 2020.
- Flew domestic routes on the East Coast, with service primarily from American’s hubs in Charlotte, North Carolina; Washington, D.C.; and Philadelphia.
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