American to buy 460 jets in split Boeing-Airbus

American Airlines on Wednesday announced multi-billion-dollar agreements to buy 460 single-aisle passenger jets in an order split between the US aerospace giant Boeing and European rival Airbus. American described the deals for 200 Boeing 737s and 260 Airbus A320 jets, for planes to be delivered between 2013 and 2022, as the "largest aircraft order in history." The split orders mark a major setback for Boeing because most of American Airlines's fleet is made up of jets built by the US aerospace giant. The Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines, said the deals will allow the company "to replace and transform American's narrowbody fleet over five years and solidify its fleet plan into the next decade. "These new aircraft will allow American to reduce its operating and fuel costs and deliver state-of-the-art amenities to customers," the company said in a statement. AMR chairman and chief executive Gerard Arpey said that with the purchase his company expects to have "the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleet among our peers in the US industry within five years. "This new fleet will dramatically improve our fuel and operating costs, while enhancing our financial flexibility," he said. In a separate statement, Boeing confirmed American's agreement to buy 200 narrowbody airplanes --- including 100 Next-Generation 737s -- with options for 100 more. American Airlines's fleet currently has more than 600 Boeing airplanes, including 156 Next-Generation 737-800s, Boeing said. The Next-Generation 737s are five percent more fuel efficient than the first of the models delivered in 1998, Boeing said. Airbus, the France-based EADS unit, hailed the order as a "strong endorsement" of the company's single-aisle planes. "We are extremely proud and gratified once again to count American Airlines among Airbus's global customers," Airbus president and chief executive Tom Enders said in a separate statement.