American Airlines to Acquire 42 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

American Airlines has entered into a purchase agreement with Boeing to acquire an initial 42 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2018, with the right to purchase up to 58 additional 787s that may be scheduled for delivery between 2015 and 2020.

The 787 purchase agreement contains provisions that would allow American to choose not to acquire some or all of the 42 initial 787s if it has not reached a satisfactory agreement with its pilots union to operate the aircraft.

American Airlines must notify Boeing of its intent to purchase a 787 at least 18 months prior to its scheduled delivery date, with the first scheduled delivery date occurring in September 2012.

The airline has previously announced that it will take delivery of 76 additional fuel-efficient Boeing 737-800 aircraft in 2009 and 2010, as it replaces its narrow-body MD-80 fleet.

Gerard Arpey, chairman and CEO of American Airlines’s parent AMR Corporation, said: “The agreement would support American’s wide-body replacement efforts as well as the international growth that is expected after American, British Airways, and Iberia achieve antitrust immunity and implement a joint business agreement for flights between North America and Europe.”