American Airlines to add Airbus as vendor

American Airlines is buying at least 460 new planes over the next five years from Airbus and Boeing in a record order that breaks Boeing’s exclusive grip on American’s fleet.

American said Wednesday that it will buy 260 planes from Airbus, 200 from rival Boeing, and take options to buy hundreds more. It expects the new jets to provide much-needed savings in fuel costs. American’s current fleet is among the least fuel-efficient in the industry.

The deal is a major boost for Airbus, which hadn’t won an order from American since the 1980s. Boeing did salvage one of its biggest sales ever — a huge consolation considering that it was in danger of losing the whole order to its European rival.

The jets carry a sticker price of more than $38 billion, although big airlines regularly get discounts and routinely play one aircraft maker off the other to get better deals.

Analysts said American’s bold strike would put more pressure on other airlines with aging fleets to buy new planes, too.

Gerard Arpey, chairman and CEO of American’s parent, AMR, sat between the leaders of Airbus and Boeing as he discussed the unusual deal at an airport news conference. He called it “a watershed event, certainly, for our company and, indeed, for the airline industry.”

American’s order covers models in the Airbus A320 family, which seat from 100 to 185 or more passengers, and Boeing’s workhorse 737 jet. American’s current 737s have 148 or 160 seats. Both planes are twin-engine models with a single aisle in the cabin and are used heavily on routes within the U.S.

AMR also announced that it plans to spin off regional carrier American Eagle as a separate company in another cost-cutting move.

In recent weeks, the airline industry was riveted by the drama of Airbus and Boeing competing to overhaul American’s fleet, which currently consists of all Boeing aircraft.

In discussions that lasted long into Tuesday night, American decided to buy 200 of the Boeing 737s, with deliveries starting in 2013. Half are expected to be equipped with updated, more fuel-efficient engines. The airline said it will take options for another 100 737s.

American also will buy 260 planes from Airbus’ A320 series with deliveries starting in 2013, and take options and purchase rights for 365 more. Starting in 2017, American will get the first of 130 of a new Airbus plane called the A320neo — for new engine option — which is scheduled to go into service in late 2015.