FORT WORTH- During the pandemic, American Airlines (AA) retired a significant portion of its fleet, simplifying operations to focus on Boeing 737, Airbus A320, Boeing 787, and Boeing 777 aircraft.

This resulted in the decommissioning of Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Airbus A330-200, and Airbus A330-300 planes, as well as Embraer E-195 regional jets.

American Airlines Qatar Airways A330

Some of the retired Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft found new homes, with 757s going to Northern Pacific and 767s to Amazon. However, the parked Airbus A330s, including both leased and owned A330-300 and A330-200 models, remained grounded.

The fleet adjustments hindered American’s ability to capitalize on the resurgence in European travel demand, as the airline lacked the smaller, more cost-effective aircraft that could facilitate route experimentation. Furthermore, delays in receiving new Boeing 787 deliveries compounded the capacity constraints.

Now, industry insider JonNYC reports that Qatar Airways, a former competitor and current partner of American Airlines, is evaluating the stored Airbus A330-200 fleet for potential acquisition and deployment within its own operations.

Delivery Delays Affect Expansion Plans

American Airlines’ fleet of parked Airbus A330-200s, retired during the pandemic, is now attracting interest from Qatar Airways. These aircraft, with an average age of just 13 years, present an attractive acquisition opportunity for Qatar as it seeks to expand its capacity.

The A330-200 fleet was larger and newer than American’s retired Airbus A330-300 models. These planes were previously operated by US Airways and had been recently retrofitted with 20 business, 21 premium economy, and 206 coach seats before being grounded.

Qatar Airways has faced challenges with widebody aircraft deliveries, including delays to its Boeing 777-9 order.

Acquiring American’s used A330-200s could provide a short-term solution to supplement Qatar’s existing A330 fleet. The Qatari carrier would likely retrofit the interiors before placing the aircraft into service.

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.

Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News.