American Airlines orders 460 new planes (less than half are American)

[Snoutport]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/american-airlines-orders-460-new-planes-2317504.html

American Airlines is buying at least 460 new planes over the next five years in what it calls the biggest airline order in history. And in a victory for Airbus, it's splitting the work between the European plane maker and Boeing.

American said today it will buy 260 planes from Airbus and 200 from Boeing. It expects the new, more fuel-efficient planes to provide much-needed savings on fuel costs. American's current fleet is among the least fuel-efficient in the industry.

Sigh....it is bad when American isn't even buying American.

[MineralMan]

1. Actually, they're buying almost half of the planes from Boeing,

so they ARE buying American. American Airlines flies into cities all over the planet, you know. In some places, Airbus parts, etc., are easier to come by, and American has relationships with foreign governments as well. It would be nice if they had bought all their planes from Boeing, but I don't know of any airline that doesn't have some Airbus equipment in its fleet. I also know of a lot of foreign airlines that have many Boeing planes in their fleets. It's sort of an international business, really.

[avaistheone1]

2. American airlines have received huge taxpayer bailouts from the American taxpayers, not

from international taxpayers.

Not much of a thank you from American Airlines though!!

[robcon]

3. American Airlines is just trying to get the best deal.

Calling it a 'patriotic duty' to buy from an American company is silly. Companies don't/shouldn't have a patriotic bone in their 'bodies.'

[MicaelS]

4. This is no one but Boeing's fault

They screwed the pooch on the production of their new "superplane" the Dreamliner 787. The plane is 3 years late.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-26/boeing-dreamliner-delays-to-end-as-analysts-see-on-time-delivery.html

Once targeted to reach customers in May 2008, the 787 has been hampered by parts shortages and Boeing’s struggles with a new production system and materials. Analysts dubbed it the “7- Late-7,” and newspapers including London’s Daily Telegraph quipped that the Dreamliner had become a nightmare.

The delays on the 787 and 747-8 meant that Boeing has had to count on the single-aisle 737 and twin-aisle 777 for income

The 757 and 767 are older designs, why buy them? The 737 is for flights inside the US. If Boeing had gotten the 787 out on time, I'm willing to bet American would have bought all Boeing.

[damntexdem]

5. None of them are American, although the Boeing planes will be largely built in the U.S.

Boeing has no more allegiance to this nation than does Air Bus. For that matter, nor does American Airlines.