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American Airlines may be among the market leaders in the aviation world but has recently gathered negative attention related to some of the aircraft it still uses on its service. The major United States airline and currently the world’s largest carrier by fleet size, revenue, and scheduled passengers carried, still employs the Boeing 767, the carrier’s worst airplane, on some of its routes.

American Airlines’ 767

Recently, American Airlines received a question from a flight attendant who works on a Lima-based flight service regarding the carrier’s plans of employing newer and more modern aircraft to serve the route. The aircraft that the passenger was flying on was the Boeing 767 – a plane that seems to no longer fulfil the needs of the market and the airline’s passengers.

the planes lack a number of technological benefits and add-ons that passengers require, which are provided on other aircraft

There is a clear difference between the 767 and the remainder of American Airlines’ fleet, which totals to 955 aircraft. The aircraft has a 2-3-2 seating configuration in Economy Class and provides spacious seating to passengers. However, the planes lack a number of technological benefits and add-ons that passengers require, which are provided on other aircraft. For example, no power plugs or in-flight entertainment systems are available on the 767’s Economy Class. Although the Business Class of the 767 is better equipped, the conditions are still not enough to satisfy the customers of one of the world’s aviation leaders.

Together with the 757, the 767 has proven to be operationally challenging, as confirmed by the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Doug Parker.

American Airlines’ 767 Retirement

The retirement of the planes has been part of the airline’s strategic plan for a while. American Airlines is the third-largest operator of the Boeing 767 but the time has come for the aircraft to go. Initially, the 767 retirement plan showed that the 24 767 planes owned by American will be removed from the fleet by 2020. However, due to the increasing complaints and unprofitability of the aircraft for the company, six 767s will be removed from the fleet by 2019, 13 will be removed in 2020, and the five remaining aircraft will be retired in 2021.

Earlier in 2018, American placed an order for the acquisition of 47 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which the carrier intends to use as replacements for the 767. As part of the fleet review of American, the carrier evaluated the outcomes of retiring either the 767 or Airbus’ A330-300. The idea was to use 22 787-8 Dreamliners to substitute the 24 retiring 767s and another 25 Boeing 787-9s to replace the 15 Airbus A330-300s and ageing 777-200s.

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Although there is no confirmation on the replacement schedules of the A330s and 777s, we know for certain that the 767s will soon be phased out. Doug Parker has shared that Lima will be a market that will see the new 787s later than Philadelphia, where a base will be created first. The Miami – Lima route is likely to be the maiden Lima services to receive a 787 Dreamliner as Miami is already prepared for Boeing’s modern plane.

With the replacement plans put in place by American Airlines for its old Boeing 767, the carrier is hoping to upgrade its fleet and maintain its stability and positive image on the market.