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American Airlines has announced that it will install seatback entertainment screens at every seat across its narrowbody fleet, reversing the strategy that saw the airline remove them over the past decade.
It’s worth noting, however, that the first aircraft are still two years away, and the full rollout will not be finished for some time.
What American has announced
American Airlines will fit seatback screens at every seat on all new Airbus and Boeing narrowbody deliveries starting in 2028, and plans to start retrofitting these on existing aircraft as well (no date for the retrofit process has been given).
American describes the new system as offering “industry-leading screen sizes”, and says the displays will be among the largest offered on narrowbody aircraft in North America. No screen dimensions have been given.
The airline lists the following features:
- 4K displays
- Expanded content, with the possibility of new partnerships
- Personalized recommendations, plus flight maps with destination information
- USB-C fast charging at every seat
- Bluetooth audio pairing at every seat
That’s a noticeable improvement on what is offered on a lot of other airlines and a monumental step up on what American’s short-haul fleet offers now.
Installation starts in 2028 on new Airbus and Boeing narrowbody deliveries, with retrofits of existing aircraft alongside them (we think, it’s possible American will begin retrofitting earlier). American says the rollout will happen “as quickly as possible”, with full fleet installation expected to be complete by early next decade.
All of this comes along with the news that American also plans to offer considerably more First Class and Main Cabin Extra seats across its short-haul fleet, so it looks like someone at American has woken up and realized that being a Greyhound bus in the skies isn’t a viable business model for a 21st century airline.
Bottom line
American Airlines will install seatback screens at every seat across its narrowbody fleet, starting with new Airbus and Boeing deliveries in 2028 and continuing through retrofits, with the work expected to finish in the early 2030s. The screens will carry 4K displays, USB-C charging and Bluetooth audio pairing.
