Wide-Bodies’ Luster Is Tarnished as American Defers Airbus Jets
- Airline’s move shows risk of ‘cyclical downturn,’ analyst says
- Sales have stalled and few orders were placed at Farnborough
The Airbus A350.
Photographer: Nicky Loh/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
American Airlines’s decision to postpone delivery of nearly two dozen of Airbus Group SE’s sleek, fuel-efficient A350 jetliners amplifies concerns that demand is sagging for international air travel and large new aircraft.
Wide-body sales have stalled this year as inexpensive fuel and a glut of readily available used jets diminishes airlines’ need to upgrade their fleets. Airbus and Boeing Co. notched few orders of twin-aisle planes at last week’s Farnborough Air Show in the U.K. Boeing’s 777 jetliners and Airbus’s A380 superjumbo were shut out altogether.