American Airlines announced Tuesday that it will retrofit its regional aircraft to bring them closer in line with the standards of its mainline fleet. The program will update cabins, expand connectivity, and add additional passenger amenities across the airline’s dual-class regional fleet.
According to the carrier, nearly 300 regional aircraft are already equipped with high-speed satellite Wi-Fi that is available gate-to-gate. By early 2026, American expects to complete Wi-Fi installation across its entire regional fleet.
Interior Retrofits
Cabin interiors on Embraer E175 and Bombardier CRJ-900 jets will be refreshed with new seat coverings designed to match mainline aesthetics. The aircraft will also be retrofitted with in-seat power at every seat.
The upgrade effort will cover American’s CRJ-700, CRJ-900, E170, and E175 aircraft. Its 50-seat E145s were not mentioned as part of the announcement.
American maintains the largest regional fleet in the U.S., which includes wholly-owned subsidiaries Envoy, PSA, and Piedmont. SkyWest and Republic also operate flights for the airline.
According to Cirium Fleet Analyzer data, 566 regional aircraft are currently operating under the American Eagle brand.
In addition, snack service will also be updated to more closely match offerings on mainline flights. American said premium cabin passengers will continue to receive morning and evening snack selections and, beginning this fall, will also be offered a midday snack basket.
Bigger Bins
The airline is additionally working with Embraer to develop larger overhead bins for its E175 fleet, with plans to roll these out in the “coming years.”
American said the initiative is intended to create consistency across its domestic network, where many passengers connect between regional and mainline flights. Heather Garboden, the airline’s chief customer officer, noted that demand for reliable high-speed connectivity extends even to short-haul markets and emphasized that the upgrades are designed to meet those expectations.
