FLEET / ORDER - American Airlines Places Order for up to 133 Embraer Aircraft

Photo: Duncan Stewart

Embraer (NYSE: ERJ; B3: EMBR3) has secured a major order for 133 aircraft from American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) to meet domestic demand in the United States. American has placed a firm order with Embraer for 90 E175s, with purchase rights for 43 additional jets. The aircraft will be delivered with 76 seats in American’s standard dual-class configuration. The deal, with all purchase rights exercised, is worth more than US$7bn at list price, and the firm orders will be included in Embraer’s 1Q24 backlog.

The E175 is one of the most popular aircraft in the region, with 837 aircraft sold (including today’s firm order for 90) and 88% market share since 2013.

“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 newer, more efficient aircraft so we can continue to deliver the best network and record-setting operational reliability for our customers.”

American is focused on bringing larger dual-class regional aircraft into its fleet, which will continue to drive connectivity from smaller markets to the rest of the airline’s global network. American expects to retire all of its 50-seat single-class regional jets by the end of the decade and will continue to serve small and medium-sized markets with larger regional jets.

Dual-class regional jets are expected to make up American’s regional fleet once the new Embraer E175 deliveries are completed.

Arjan Meijer, President and CEO Embraer Commercial Aviation, said, “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%. This modern, comfortable, reliable, and efficient aircraft continues to deliver the connectivity the U.S. depends on day after day. This represents American’s largest-ever single order of E175s, and we thank American for its continued trust in our products and people.”