American Airlines recently celebrated the delivery of its 50th Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with another 80 still on order. The airline has been operating the MAX for almost six years since it welcomed its first one in 2017. The delivery of the 50th MAX comes after a challenging year for Boeing, which faced production and quality control issues earlier this year.

American’s 50th MAX 8

American Airlines’ 50th MAX 8 aircraft, with registration number N319TE, was delivered last week and flew from Boeing Field in Seattle to the airline’s hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The delivery marks the eighth MAX delivered to American in 2023, with six of those arriving since the beginning of June. American will eventually operate a fleet of 130 MAXs, with 80 more still to be delivered.

American’s MAX Operations

American Airlines welcomed its first MAX 8 in 2017 and would operate over 20 MAXs by the end of 2018. However, following the second MAX crash in March 2019, American had to wait over 18 months for another MAX delivery, which eventually came in December 2020. The airline’s MAX 8s have a two-class configuration, with seating for up to 172 passengers – 16 in business and 156 in economy.

Q2 Revenues and Pilot Negotiations

American Airlines recently posted its highest-ever quarterly revenues for Q2 2023, generating $14.1 billion – over $500 million more than the same period in 2022. Despite this, shares dropped by 6% on the day of its earnings call after American provided an underwhelming guidance for the next quarter.

Additionally, in response to United Airlines’ deal with its pilots, American has raised its contract offer to its own pilots, which will add to its operational costs. The new offer is expected to amount to around $9 billion over the next four years. American’s pilot union was due to vote on a previous offer by July 24th, but has now suspended the ratification vote until a later date.

American Airlines’ delivery of its 50th Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is a significant milestone for the airline as it continues to expand its fleet and operations. The airline’s commitment to the MAX demonstrates its confidence in Boeing’s ability to address the production and quality control issues that plagued the MAX program earlier this year. Despite challenges related to the pandemic and rising operational costs, American Airlines remains focused on providing safe and reliable air travel to its passengers.

What do you think about American Airlines’ decision to continue expanding its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft?

Also, you might be interested in reading: Boeing 737 MAX Delivery Delays Impact Airlines’ Summer Plans