Aircraft

American Airlines could accelerate Boeing 737-800 deliveries as it looks to quickly phase out it huge fleet of fuel-thirsty MD-80s. Meanwhile Alaska Airlines aims to retire its remaining MD-80s by August.

American recently revealed its plans to accelerate its MD-80 phase-out, and Gerard Arpey, chief executive of American parent AMR, told the Merrill Lynch global transportation conference in New York earlier this week that this could see 737s arriving more quickly: "We currently expect to take 70 737s over the next two years and we continue to evaluate whether to move at an even brisker pace."

The airline has 330 MD-80s in service - some of which are over 20 years old - and Arpey says the 737-800 has "a significant cost advantage" over the ageing twinjet.

According to Flight's ACAS database, American has firm orders for 52 737-800s and options on a further 377. The carrier has long touted the flexibility of its agreement with Boeing.

"Given the agreement we have with Boeing and the financability of these airplanes right out of the blocks, I think it is very cash-flow sensible from the get-go in this oil price environment," says Arpey.

The spiralling fuel price has also prompted Alaska Airlines to bring forward the retirement of its nine remaining MD-80s.

This had been due in the autumn, but Alaska chief executive Bill Ayer told the Merrill Lynch conference that they are all now planned to be retired by 25 August and replaced by 737-800s.

Meanwhile AMR's stated plans include retiring up to 45 mainline aircraft from American's fleet, the majority of which will be MD-80s.

Arpey reveals that the company is studying the retirement schedule of its 34-strong Airbus A300-600R fleet, which runs through 2012. That schedule may be accelerated "given the environment we find ourselves in", he says.