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A double 100 for American Airlines

Airline’s centennial week includes its 100th 737 MAX delivery, highlighting long partnership with Boeing.

May 13, 2026 in Commercial

Two photos show a 737 MAX in 2026 and MD-80 in 1987, each wrapped with a blue bow American Airlines’ 100th 737 MAX (above), delivered in 2026, has a similar bow on display as the airline’s 100th MD-80, delivered in 1987. (Top photo © Boeing, bottom photo © American Airlines)

American Airlines marked its 100th anniversary last month and, within the same week, took delivery of its 100th 737 MAX – which was wrapped with a large blue bow for the occasion.

  • The delivery marks the latest milestone in a long-standing relationship between American and Boeing, dating to the early years of commercial aviation.

A century together in flight: In the 1930s and 40s, American’s earliest commercial fleet included Douglas airplanes, part of today’s Boeing heritage.

In 1959, American Airlines launched the first transcontinental jet passenger route with the Boeing 707 on a record-breaking four-hour flight from Los Angeles to New York, a move that helped expand coast-to-coast service and broaden access to commercial air travel.

As air travel evolved, so did the airplanes in American’s fleet:

  • The 727, introduced in the 1960s, enabled American to serve more airports – including those with shorter runways – helping to expand domestic routes and connect more cities.
  • American introduced the 777 in the late 90s and the 787 Dreamliner in 2015, which both offered higher capacity and improved efficiency as demand for longer-haul routes increased.
  • American Airlines began operating the 737-800 in 1999, which has become a staple of the airline’s domestic and short-haul international route network.

Today, the airline’s fleet includes 737, 777 and 787 airplanes, which help serve the airline’s approximately 350 destinations in more than 60 countries.

Milestone delivery: The airline’s 100th 737 MAX is the latest milestone in its shared history with Boeing.

“Over the past decade, American has invested heavily to modernize and simplify our fleet, making it the largest and youngest among U.S. network carriers,” said Jay Hancock, American’s Managing Director of Fleet. “Our longstanding partnership with Boeing and now the delivery of our 100th MAX aircraft has allowed us to expand our network for our customers.”

The next century: As American looks to its next 100 years, the airline continues to grow and modernize its fleet. Nearly 140 Boeing airplanes – a mix of 737 MAX and 787 models – remain on order for the airline.