American Airlines has been forced to reduce its international network, citing Boeing aircraft delivery delays.

Boeing delays strike again

The aviation industry is going through a rocky period. Boeing has had an awful 2024, from the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 blowout incident to reduced factory production and increased oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration. Airlines that operate Airbus A320/A321neo aircraft have been forced to ground some planes to inspect them. Several airlines have been forced to shift schedules, change order books, and exit some airports because of Boeing’s delays.

American Airlines had already shifted its international network and has done so again. In an SEC filing earlier today, American said it expects to receive only three Boeing 787 Dreamliners this year, half of the previous forecast. According to CNBC, American was asked if it would adjust schedules with flights to be operated by 737 MAX 8s, and it said it was evaluating. According to the filing, American expects 16 737 MAX planes this year.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Several European routes will be affected as part of the changes:

In addition to international flights, one domestic route will also be affected. This summer, American will not fly from its home at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Kona International Airport in Hawai’i.

The airline said,

“We’re making these adjustments now to ensure we’re able to re-accommodate customers on affected flights. We’ll be proactively reaching out to impacted customers to offer alternate travel arrangements. We remain committed to our customers and team members and mitigating the impact of these delays while continuing to offer a comprehensive global network.”

New product delay

According to a report from The Points Guy, the rollout of American’s new premium product, the Flagship Business Suites, has also been delayed. The new product was unveiled in 2022 and will feature privacy doors in business class, a first for American carriers. The suites were meant to be installed on new Boeing 787-9 deliveries starting this year and added to some of the Boeing 777-300ERs, but that plan has been pushed back.

Photo: American Airlines

The airline did not provide an updated timeline for the product rollout, but one thing is sure: it will not be debuted on the new Dallas-Brisbane route, which launches this October. American recently became the third American airline to announce flights to Brisbane and will launch them this October, but instead of using the route launch as the inaugural flight for its new business class, the airline will have to wait and use a normally configured 787-9.

Related

Is First Class Back? American Airlines Reveals New Flagship Preferred Suite For Boeing 787-9 & 777-300