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American Airlines has split a massive order for up to 220 new aircraft between Bombardier and Embraer. The order, which comes shortly after the conclusion of a merger between American Airlines and US Airways Group, includes both Bombardier Aerospace CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, as well as Embraer E175 jets.
The purchase agreement with Bombardier covers the delivery of 30 CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, with options for another 40. The order is currently valued at approximately US$1.42 billion, and would increase to US$3.38 billion if the options are converted into firm orders.
With Embraer, American Airlines has placed a firm order for 60 E175 jets, with options for an additional 90. The firm orders are valued at US$2.5 billion at Embraer’s list price.
“It’s been an exciting week for American Airlines,” said Kenji Hashimoto, American Airlines’ senior vice president – regional carriers. “We’ve closed our merger with US Airways Group, Inc., and as we begin the work to harmonize the American and US Airways operations….this order will allow American to lower costs by replacing older aircraft.”
American Airlines will be the first operator to benefit from recent modifications to the CRJ900 NextGen regional jet. Improvements include powerplant enhancements and ongoing weight reduction initiatives, including upgraded avionics. Together, these changes deliver five per cent lower fuel burn compared to earlier generation CRJ900s.
“We congratulate American Airlines and US Airways on their merger and are delighted that the merged airline will use Bombardier aircraft for its present and future fleet requirements,” said Mike Arcamone, president, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The product enhancements made to the CRJ900 NextGen aircraft offer fuel savings of up to US$500,000 per aircraft.”
American Airlines’ new Embraer E175 jets will be configured with 12 first class, 20 main cabin extra and 44 main cabin seats, for a total of 76 seats. The delivery of the first Embraer aircraft is scheduled for the first quarter of 2015.
“American achieved impressive results with the ERJ 145 aircraft family, and we are sure that will continue with the E175,” said Paulo Cesar Silva, president and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aircraft. “Embraer is honoured to provide the new American with the E175, and it is committed to supporting the development of the new airline.”
