AMR Corp's American Airlines said itwill buy 40 long-range jet aircraft to support international
expansion, including routes in the Caribbean.
    Under one agreement, the airline said, it will acquire 15
Boeing Co &lt;BA> 767-300 planes. Under a separate agreement,
American will acquire A-300-600 aircraft from &lt;Airbus
Industrie>, a European consortium.
    The company's announcement included no value for the order.
    Published reports put the value of the aircraft order,
including engines, at 2.5 billion dlrs.
    A total of 98 General Electric Co &lt;GE> CF6-80C2 engines is
involved in the orders, American Airlines said.
    The published reports valued the engines at five mln dlrs
each.
    The company said it will acquire the planes and engines
using rental leases that can be terminated on relatively short
notice.
    The arrangement allows the airline to acquire the planes
without adding to its debt, it explained.
    The Boeing 767s, to be delivered from February 1988 to
October 1988, will be used on routes between the U.S. and
Europe, American said.
    It said the Airbus A300s, scheduled for delivery from April
1988 through June 1989, will be assigned to the Caribbean,
where American has developed a major new hub at San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
 Reuter
