Hi everyone.

American has now 300 of the current 800 variants in its fleet and is expecting 100 of the MAX variants, the first of which has been delivered already. So my question is will American ever have a total of 400 737s in its fleet? A lot of people will say yes but I doubt it. Because by the time the last MAX arrives, the retirement of the current 800 variants will have begun.

What do you predict? I predict a fleet of maybe not as many as 400 737s but definitely more than 300 737s (current 800 and MAX) at its peak. Just curious to see if the 737 fleet at its peak will beat the MD-80 fleet at its peak, which was at one time 360 in the mid 2000s after the merger with TWA.

I was under the impression they were going to start retiring some of the 738 soon because of corrosion issues. I think I read that in a previous thread about the AA Retrojet livery being applied to a newer 738 and taken off the original 738 it was applied on.

bw50505 wrote:

I was under the impression they were going to start retiring some of the 738 soon because of corrosion issues.

where i can read about this?

Wow, this must be the first time ever (pun intended) on airliners.net that someone uses the word "ever" correctly. Kudos!

In relation to the topic, they might order some more MAX 737s in the future and then maybe the fleet will reach 400.

Is AA getting rid of the US A320's, and possible some the the older 319's?

AAvgeek744 wrote:

Is AA getting rid of the US A320's, and possible some the the older 319's?

They've very slowly been retiring a few A320's already.

AA321T wrote:

AAvgeek744 wrote:

Is AA getting rid of the US A320's, and possible some the the older 319's?

They've very slowly been retiring a few A320's already.

Thanks. I assumed they would be leaving as the newer a/c come online.

AA321T wrote:

AAvgeek744 wrote:

Is AA getting rid of the US A320's, and possible some the the older 319's?

They've very slowly been retiring a few A320's already.

Most of those retired were more than 25 years old, including a few originally ordered by Pan Am (but slots sold to Guinness Peat Aviation and then leased to Braniff II). The A319s (former US Airways) are likely still needed for smaller markets, especially in the Rust Belt and Plains. I wonder if AA will ever pool all of the A321s into a single operation (excluding the 3-class A321s and those for Hawaii). As for AA's 737 count reaching 400 (308 right now)...I see it as coming close but no as the older 737s will likely be retired (the oldest is 19 years now) before that number is reached.

aemoreira1981 wrote:

AA321T wrote:

single operation (excluding the 3-class A321s and those for Hawaii). As for AA's 737 count reaching 400 (308 right now)...I see it as coming close but no as the older 737s will likely be retired (the oldest is 19 years now) before that number is reached.

That was exactly what I was thinking. The 737 fleet may not reach 400 at its peak but it will beat what the MD-80 fleet was at its peak at one point: 362 MD-80s in the middle of the 2000s.

AA321T wrote:

AAvgeek744 wrote:

Is AA getting rid of the US A320's, and possible some the the older 319's?

They've very slowly been retiring a few A320's already.

AW had some of the original Braniff A320s built in the early 90s, so that's not terribly noteworthy.

I'd wager you will see 400 737s. The oldest 737s are only 18 years old so they have some way to go.

By my math, AA has 306 737 NG's in its fleet. All 100 737 MAXs will be delivered by the end of 2021, I think. So the fleet count should hit 400 by late 2021. I have not heard of any 737 NG retirements planned. They just got done painting all them, and all will be fitted with 737 MAX interiors, so I expect no retirements soon.

Lpbri wrote:

By my math, AA has 306 737 NG's in its fleet. All 100 737 MAXs will be delivered by the end of 2021, I think. So the fleet count should hit 400 by late 2021. I have not heard of any 737 NG retirements planned. They just got done painting all them, and all will be fitted with 737 MAX interiors, so I expect no retirements soon.

They will happen sooner or later. The first 78x (?) 738s are actually getting pretty old. That’s why the Astrojet was reassigned to a newer unit.

AA321T wrote:

AAvgeek744 wrote:

Is AA getting rid of the US A320's, and possible some the the older 319's?

They've very slowly been retiring a few A320's already.

Very few, if any, of the newer 320s with CFM56-5B or V2500-A5s have been parked. Most, if not all, of the 320s that have been parked are older CFM56-5A and/or V2500-A1 powered planes.



(I can't remember if US/AW had mixed A1/5As or if it was just one motor.)


IIRC AA's narrowbody fleet is going to start growing again once the E90s are gone.

With about 800 narrowbody planes, they only have 200 NEO/MAXs on order. I’d expect many more of each to be ordered.