American Air Mulls Longest-Range Airbus A321 to Plug Boeing Gap
- Proposed XLR jet tempts world’s largest carrier, people say
- U.S. planemaker’s product strategy is on hold amid Max crisis
An Airbus SE A321 airplane with a livery for American Airlines Group Inc., left, sits on the production floor at the Airbus Final Assembly Line facility in Mobile, Alabama, U.S., on July 19, 2017.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergAmerican Airlines Group Inc. is taking a hard look at whether to buy Airbus SE’s proposed A321XLR aircraft, people familiar with the matter said. Any deal would be a big blow to struggling Boeing Co.’s rival foray into mid-range flying.
The U.S. carrier sees the plane, which would have the longest range of Airbus’s single-aisle offerings, as a potential replacement for its aging fleet of 34 Boeing 757-200 jets, said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. While no announcement is planned for this month’s Paris Air Show, aircraft deals sometimes come together quickly, one of the people said.