American Airlines is negotiating with Boeing to defer deliveries on its four remaining 777-200ERs and the bulk of its outstanding 737-800 orders. Despite this, and a 35% drop in the latest quarterly deliveries, Boeing is sticking with its earlier projection of 380 commercial jet deliveries by year-end and between 275 and 300 in 2003.
The US carrier announced plans in August to defer 35 aircraft as well as accelerate the retirement of 75 Fokker 100s over two years, starting in the third quarter of 2003. It is understood that the carrier wants to push back new deliveries as far as 2005 and this includes all four Rolls-Royce Trent 800-powered 777-200s on order, with the remainder of deferrals from among the 41 737-800s on backlog.
This would leave the carrier taking delivery of no more than 10 new 737s over the next three years and continuing to operate most of its 363 Boeing MD-82s for another 10 years. American has already received 43 777s and 77 737-800s.
Boeing third quarter deliveries this year totalled 73 civil jets, compared to 112 in the previous three months. This year's total so far is 295 aircraft, leaving 85 to be delivered before year-end to meet its target. This compares to 567 deliveries last year.
Source: Flight International
