American Airlines ordered 460 new narrow-body aircraft from
Airbus and Boeing, which CEO Gerard Arpey in a memo to employees called
"the largest aircraft order in aviation history."
American plans to deploy new Boeing 737 and Airbus A320
planes from 2013 through 2022.
"These new deliveries are expected to pave the way for
us to operate the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleet among our U.S. airline
peers in approximately five years," according to Arpey.
"We understand that American’s fleet (and brand) are tired
but this announcement represents a ton of new capital being put into a failing
business model," according to a research note by UBS analyst Kevin
Crissey. The carrier on Wednesday posted yet another quarterly loss, totaling
$286 million for the three months ending June 30.
American also disclosed plans to divest its American Eagle
regional subsidiary.