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American Airlines has announced that it has chosen CFM International to be the continued engine partner for its Airbus A321neo fleet. These next-generation narrowbodies are set to form the backbone of the Fort Worth-based US ‘big three’ legacy carrier and oneworld founding member’s single-aisle fleet in the coming years, alongside the long-range A321XLR sub-variant. Collectively, it has outstanding orders for almost 150 of these jets.
CFM International, which is a joint venture between aeronautical heavyweights GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, will also provide engine maintenance support to 
American Airlines as part of the deal. The timing of the announcement is certainly conspicuous, given that the A320neo family can also be powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, and Airbus called out the manufacturer earlier today for its role in its delivery delays.
Building On A Strong Working Relationship
In a statement released by the carrier earlier today, American Airlines confirmed that CFM International’s LEAP-1A engines would continue to power its Airbus A321neo fleet, with the new deal specifically concerning examples of the next-generation narrowbody that were ordered two years ago. The engine maker has already enjoyed a strong working relationship with American Airlines that has lasted multiple decades, and this will now grow.
According to present fleet data made available by ch-aviation, American Airlines presently has 85 units of the standard Airbus A321neo at its disposal, as well as four examples of the long-range A321XLR variant. These next-generation narrowbody types are respectively just five and 0.6 years old on average, compared to a fleet-wide mean figure of 12 years old. Commenting on the new deal with CFM, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said:
“We are excited that CFM LEAP engines will power our next phase of A321neo deliveries, maximizing the power of our fleet investments to deliver the best network to our customers, utilizing the best-performing engine in the business.”
Pratt & Whitney Has Lost Favor As An Engine Option For The A320neo Series
American Airlines’ selection of CFM International as the engine supplier for its next batch of Airbus A321neo narrowbody twinjets is significant, as operators of the type have multiple turbofan types to choose from. Indeed, alongside the CFM LEAP-1A, there is also the option of having A320neo series jets powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engine, which is also known in its promotional branding as the GTF (geared turbofan).
However, and interestingly in the context of the timing of American Airlines’ announcement, the latter manufacturer has fallen out of favor with Airbus of late, due to reliability issues and a production slowdown that has forced the European planemaker to adjust its delivery guidance. This came to a head in this morning’s full-year results for 2025, where it called out Pratt & Whitney’s “failure to commit to the number of engines ordered by Airbus.”
This failure, Airbus alleges, “is negatively impacting this year’s guidance and the ramp-up trajectory,” and has forced the firm to adjust its delivery guidance. Specifically, it hopes to be able to deliver 75 A320neo series jets a month, but now does not expect to be able to do so until 2027. In this context, AA’s selection of CFM engines appears to be a shrewd decision that should enable it to forecast its A321neo deliveries more reliably.
CFM LEAP Vs. Pratt & Whitney GTF: Which Engines Are More Powerful?
How do two of the world’s most popular aircraft engines compare?
Many More Deliveries To Come
The ability to accurately forecast forthcoming aircraft deliveries is important for any carrier, but this arguably applies to American Airlines more than most, given the sheer scale of its outstanding order book. According to ch-aviation, it currently has 290 jets on order, with over half of these (149) being Airbus A321neos.
This figure is split between 103 units of the standard model and 46 examples of the long-range Airbus A321XLR sub-variant. When all is said and done, based on its current fleet and outstanding order book, American stands to have a grand total of 188 A321neos and 50 A321XLRs at its disposal, so engine reliability will play a key role in ensuring a sustainable future for its narrowbody fleet. This is where it will hope that CFM is the right choice.
