American Airlines apparently is playing the Ryanair game with both Boeing and Airbus by using a 250 aircraft orders as both a carrot and a stick. And now we know why John Leahy was hinting at Boeing losing a major network carrier.

Make no mistake, this really would be a very big loss for Boeing.   The question is whether or not Boeing is taking American seriously in this.  Some might be tempted to think it’s a bluff, I do not think it is anything resembling a bluff.  The A320NEO is something that American needs more than most network airlines. 

Instead, this is a “put up or shut up” move to Boeing and I’ll wager that it won’t be the last.  Airlines want to know what Boeing is going to do and waiting very much longer is likely going to result in either more orders for Airbus or renegade orders to Bombardier and Embraer. 

And Boeing can’t be just a medium to large aircraft builder.  It needs this single aisle market for many reasons and the airlines are dissatisfied with Boeing’s tentative approach to what it plans to offers airlines next.  To be fair, even the 737NG is getting a bit long in the tooth and promising incremental improvements isn’t going to satisfy airlines anymore.  Much like the new and improved A330 that Airbus tried to sell many years ago didn’t fly either.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax
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