Gone are the days of three-class Boeing 777-200 aircraft at American Airlines. On Monday, the Fort Worth-based carrier said that there are no longer any 777-200s with a three-class configuration in operation.
The carrier has been working to modernize its older fleet of 47 777-200s to align with new aircraft types, including the Boeing 777-300ER and 787 Dreamliner. Completing the 777-200 fleet is another step as the airline aims to create a more consistent product on widebody aircraft.
These cabin retrofits on American’s 777-200s hit a snag in 2015 when the carrier switched from seat manufacturer Zodiac to B/E Aerospace after Zodiac couldn’t deliver the retrofits on time. The B/E Aerospace business class seats are also used on the carrier’s 787-9 aircraft.
13 of American’s 777-200 aircraft feature 45 business class seats with 215 in main cabin, and most of which have Zodiac seating. Along with the batch of 777-200s, the airline uses Zodiac business class seats on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
29 of the carrier’s 777-200 aircraft see 37 business class seats and 252 in the main cabin. While five of these configurations feature Zodiac seating, the rest have been retrofitted with B/E Aerospace business class.
Four 777-200s, N794AN (7BC), N758AN (7BT), N780AN (7AL), and N790AN (7AX), are in Hong Kong receiving retrofits and will see B/E Aerospace seating. N794AN ferried from Tokyo to Hong Kong on July 23, making it the last 777-200 to carry the old three-class configuration.
Currently, American has retrofitted one Boeing 777-200 with a premium economy cabin: N781AN (7AM). This aircraft is configured with 37 Zodiac business class seats, 16 premium economy seats, and 220 main cabin seats. The airline is looking to complete 777-200 premium economy retrofits by the first quarter of 2018.
The new cabin retrofits for American’s 777-200 fleet are another major step as the carrier has aggressively pursued renewing some of its aging fleet types.
