(Reuters) – American Airlines said on Wednesday that it is in talks with planemakers Airbus and Boeing over a new narrowbody jet order, at a time when airlines rush to order more aircraft amid a travel boom.
Bloomberg News earlier reported that the airline was in talks with the companies to order at least 100 jets, citing people familiar with the matter.
“We are talking to Boeing and Airbus about our narrowbody aircraft needs for the latter half of this decade and beyond,” American said in a statement.
Airbus, when contacted by Reuters, said “we have no comment on our confidential commercial talks, which may or may not be happening.”
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Industry sources told Reuters that the talks were at an early stage and no decision was imminent.
“Due to the young age of our aircraft, our fleet replacement needs are very limited. Therefore, we expect aircraft capex for the next several years and likely through the end of the decade to average about $3.5 billion per year,” American said during an investor call last month.
The Bloomberg report added that the deal size could top 200 jets, with commitments for future purchases.
According to the report, the airline, whose negotiations have been under way for several months, is considering Boeing’s 737 Max and Airbus’s A321neo to replace its 737-800, A319 and A320 single-aisle models later this decade.
(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru, Tim Hepher in Paris and David Shepardson in Washington, DC; Editing by Milla Nissi and Shailesh Kuber)
