AA defers A350 deliveries

[FWAAA]

AA has deferred delivery of all 22 A350s:

American Airlines has deferred the deliveries of all of the 22 Airbus A350-900s that it has on order, as it works to reduce its capital expenditures and manage capacity through 2018.

The Fort Worth-based carrier will take its first A350 in late 2018 instead of spring 2017, it says in a quarterly financial filing today. Deliveries will continue through 2022, two years later than originally scheduled with an average deferral of 26 months.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/american-defers-a350-deliveries-by-more-than-two-yea-427747/

 

[AANOTOK]

AA has deferred delivery of all 22 A350s:


https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/american-defers-a350-deliveries-by-more-than-two-yea-427747/

And you see that as negative or positive  news?

 

[matt]

Not good! Mean while taking some A330's out of Philadelphia and moving to AA stations. We're supposed to get 767-300 ER ! Pieces of junk!!!!

 

[1AA]

My opinion? Great news. Airbus junk from a maintenance standpoint. Pilots may like them but when they have issues it's a technological disaster. Again my opinion. AA should take more 777-300's instead.

 

[FWAAA]

And you see that as negative or positive  news?

I don't know if it's good or bad. I lecture you guys often enough that I figured I'd let others chime in with their opinions.

I was surprised at the news, especially given the already-announced early retirements of the A333s and the accelerated 763 retirements. The A350s were ordered so that US could replace A330s and for planned long-term growth.

Spirit is lowering domestic yields for AA (which I think is very bad) but the A350s are necessary to replace the A333s and to help with long-haul international growth (which Spirit can't affect).

When US ordered the A350s a decade ago, they made perfect sense, because US would not have any 787s. With the merger, I figured (incorrectly) that the A350 order would cancelled or converted to more A321s because I don't see the A350s having enough unique characteristics (compared to 787s) to outweigh the added costs and complexity of a 22-airplane fleet.

The added spare parts and training of all crews (pilots, FAs, maintenance and fleet) would make sense to me for a larger stable of A350s, but not for just 22 of them. On that front, Parker and Kirby disagree with me, or else they would have cancelled the order in early 2014.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/american-airlines-profit-and-revenue-decline-1469190634?mod=yahoo_hs
 
Maybe a drawdown of PHL!

 

[jcw]

Well no thread would be complete about reducing PHL or CLT

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

When US ordered the A350s a decade ago, they made perfect sense, because US would not have any 787s. With the merger, I figured (incorrectly) that the A350 order would cancelled or converted to more A321s because I don't see the A350s having enough unique characteristics (compared to 787s) to outweigh the added costs and complexity of a 22-airplane fleet.

The added spare parts and training of all crews (pilots, FAs, maintenance and fleet) would make sense to me for a larger stable of A350s, but not for just 22 of them. On that front, Parker and Kirby disagree with me, or else they would have cancelled the order in early 2014.

 
I wonder if AA would consider a swap:  the US-ordered A350s for the NW-ordered B787s with DL?
 
I think the tentative delivery dates and the number of aircraft involved almost work out for both.
Plus it would allow AA to eventually have a long-haul widebody fleet of B787s and B777s.  As for DL, their long-haul widebody fleet would be A350s, B777s and A330s and some B767s - but fleet diversity is celebrated at DL b)

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

Well no thread would be complete about reducing PHL or CLT

 
It's bound to happen eventually.

 

[IORFA]

I wonder if AA would consider a swap:  the US-ordered A350s for the NW-ordered B787s with DL?
 
I think the tentative delivery dates and the number of aircraft involved almost work out for both.
Plus it would allow AA to eventually have a long-haul widebody fleet of B787s and B777s.  As for DL, their long-haul widebody fleet would be A350s, B777s and A330s and some B767s - but fleet diversity is celebrated at DL b)

It's possible, but we already have one sim delivered and another one the way according to the compAAny fish wrap. I guess it could be boxed up and shipped to ATL.

 

[D7571987]

Get some more MD80s out of the desert instead. 

 

[topDawg]

My opinion? Great news. Airbus junk from a maintenance standpoint. Pilots may like them but when they have issues it's a technological disaster. Again my opinion. AA should take more 777-300's instead.

I disagree. I'd rather work on a bus than a 737/757/MD any day of the week. 
The nazi screws are stupid and annoying but workable. At least you don't have to lay on the ground to do panels or screw knock every damn screw like the 57. 
 
The barking dog is also annoying as hell, but you get use to it. 
 
*note I haven't worked much on the 330 but have seen a good bit of the baby buses. 
 

I don't know if it's good or bad. I lecture you guys often enough that I figured I'd let others chime in with their opinions.

I was surprised at the news, especially given the already-announced early retirements of the A333s and the accelerated 763 retirements. The A350s were ordered so that US could replace A330s and for planned long-term growth.

Spirit is lowering domestic yields for AA (which I think is very bad) but the A350s are necessary to replace the A333s and to help with long-haul international growth (which Spirit can't affect).

When US ordered the A350s a decade ago, they made perfect sense, because US would not have any 787s. With the merger, I figured (incorrectly) that the A350 order would cancelled or converted to more A321s because I don't see the A350s having enough unique characteristics (compared to 787s) to outweigh the added costs and complexity of a 22-airplane fleet.

The added spare parts and training of all crews (pilots, FAs, maintenance and fleet) would make sense to me for a larger stable of A350s, but not for just 22 of them. On that front, Parker and Kirby disagree with me, or else they would have cancelled the order in early 2014.

not really. The number I have always been told is 15-20 for wide bodies and 50-60 for narrow bodies to make them economical. 
 
Do you also have a problem with the 332 fleet and 77W fleet? both less than 22. (yes the 77W is a 777 but it still has a added cost due to different engines) 
 
 
 

 
I wonder if AA would consider a swap:  the US-ordered A350s for the NW-ordered B787s with DL?
 
I think the tentative delivery dates and the number of aircraft involved almost work out for both.
Plus it would allow AA to eventually have a long-haul widebody fleet of B787s and B777s.  As for DL, their long-haul widebody fleet would be A350s, B777s and A330s and some B767s - but fleet diversity is celebrated at DL  B)

 
This is true, which is why the 787 is going to come to Delta.