Photo: American Airlines
Reports state American Airlines’ widebody decision has narrowed to two aircraft: the Airbus A330-900neo and the Boeing 787-10, to replace the airline’s 47 Boeing 777-200ERs starting in the 2030s. Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper called the process the “seventh or eighth inning,” saying the outcome “could go either way.” We compared the A330-900 against the 787-9 in detail last year. This decision calls for a different comparison — the -10 is a materially different aircraft from the -9, and the trade-offs shift as a result.
However, the A330-900’s consideration for this competition speaks volumes. On the other hand, American can be playing the usual trade-off game airlines do to ensure the sharpest pricing. The A350 is probably too large compared to the 777-200ER to be considered. We previously published an analysis stating that the deal favors Boeing.
Let’s go over the various trade-offs using the available data.
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