April 28--SEATTLE -- Tech crew chief Terry Charles of Tulsa signed his name alongside company executives Thursday in Seattle for American Airlines to take possession of a new Boeing 777-300ER, the seventh in its fleet.
A day earlier, he walked the floors of a plant in Everett, Wash., where the 777 and next-generation 787 are assembled. On previous visits, he looked over another plant where planes such as the 737 are produced.
Those modern and fuel-efficient planes are becoming a bigger and bigger part in the life of Charles and other American Airlines maintenance workers in Tulsa.
American Airlines mechanics at the Tulsa Maintenance & Engineering base are in for big changes in the coming years, not just from the ongoing bankruptcy reorganization case or the merger with US Airways.
With an average fleet age of 15 years, Fort Worth-based American Airlines is in the midst of a five-year plan to modernize its fleet as part of an ongoing effort to transform the perception of the carrier among customers into one of a sleek, efficient company on the cutting edge of the industry.
By 2017, the fleet will go from one of the oldest in the industry to the youngest on the wings of 460 new aircrafts.
That change will mean new planes and new processes for 6,250 employees at the Tulsa maintenance base
"It's another business decision to try to get things back on track," said Charles, who works in the base's component, repair and overhaul division. "There will be some changes, but in a lot of ways it will be the same thing we've always done."
One of American's most frequently maintained planes at the base, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80, will be retired by 2018 in favor of more efficient and stylish models such as the Boeing 737-Max, which American will start receiving in 2017.
Return to profitability
During major overhauls, mechanics at the base tear the planes down to individual bolts. That process will happen less often with newer planes. Newer planes only need to be completely overhauled once every seven years, as opposed to five for older aircraft.
The 737-Max is 13 percent more fuel efficient than its predecessors and includes cabin improvements that give more overhead luggage space, as well as more headroom.
Included in the $38 billion price for the order are 100 of the 737-Max airplanes and 42 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Airbus planes in the order include 130 A320s and another 130 of the next generation A320 Neo line.
When American Airlines made the order in July 2011, it wasn't yet in bankruptcy reorganization or in line to merge with competitor US Airways.
Both of those processes are expected to be finished by the end of September, and American executives hope the new planes -- and the billions of dollars a year in painful cuts to employees -- will help the airline return to profitability.
After 16 months of bankruptcy, American executives, as well as counterparts at US Airways, say the future of the Tulsa maintenance base is becoming clearer.
"I think Tulsa should be very comfortable with where we are," said Bill Cavitt, vice president of engineering, performance and quality assurance for American Airlines. "This is going to be a key asset for American Airlines going forward, and the fleet renewal only helps that."
While American's merger with US Airways is expected to happen before the end of the third quarter of this year, it will probably be two years before the new airline receives a single operating certificate and leaders can start considering how to combine nearly 1,000 aircraft.
That will give executives 24 months to decide if the company's largest base in Tulsa will get more work, less or a different mix of aircraft repair.
Company upgrade
American received its seventh 777-300ER last week and after a few d ays of final touches in Dallas, that plane is headed for Los Angeles to be used on a route to London.
The $315 million plane is an upgrade over others in American's fleet because the new 777-300ER (extended range) carries about 300 passengers and will improve capacity at slot constrained airports in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere, said American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely.
AA vice president of customer service John Snook said the bankruptcy has helped the air carrier realize that it needs to do more to rebrand the company.
"We are doing things from a product perspective that we may never have tried if we weren't in this position," Snook said.
American Airlines fleet
Plane No. in fleet
Boeing 777-300ER 2
Boing 777-200ER 47
Boeing 767-300ER 58
Boeing 767-200ER 14
Boeing 757-200 102
Boeing 737-800 195
MD-80 190
American's order book
Plane No. ordered
Boeing 737 Family 111
Boeing 737 Max Family 100
Boeing 777 Family 18
Boeing 787 Family 42
Airbus 320 Family 130
Airbus 320 NEO Family 130
Source: American Airlines
Kyle Arnold 918-581-8380
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