American adds six more 737s to 2010 deliveries

American Airlines said Thursday it will take delivery of six Boeing 737-800 aircraft in 2010, bringing the total of 737-800s to be delivered to American in 2009-2010 to 76 aircraft.

American signed an amendment to its purchase agreement with Boeing under which, among other things, American exercised its rights to purchase 20 737-800 aircraft for delivery in 2009 and 2010. That means American has committed to take delivery of 36 737 aircraft in 2009 and 40 in 2010, accelerating the replacement of its MD-80 aircraft with the more fuel-efficient 737s.

And beyond that, American still has firm commitments that were made previously for 11 737s in 2013.

The airline said it continues to evaluate opportunities to accelerate MD-80 replacement with additional 737s. American also said it has arranged backstop financing for about two-thirds of its Boeing 737-800 deliveries in 2009 and 2010. All of American's 2009 deliveries may eventually be financed under this agreement, but the airline said additional details of the financing arrangement are confidential and aren't being disclosed.

Today's announcement is another example of how American continues to take concrete steps in an effort to manage through the current industry challenges,?said Tom Horton, executive vice president of finance and planning and chief financial officer for American's parent AMR Corp. Replacing MD-80s with 737s at current fuel prices provides financial benefits while enhancing our products and services for customers. Fleet replacement remains a key element of the actions we are taking to better position our company for long-term success. 

Source: American Shipper