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American Airlines has started the process of retrofitting more than 30 of its legacy Airbus A319 aircraft. The first plane, registered as N8001N, was flown from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to El Salvador International Airport on July 15 for the overhaul. This information was first reported by aviation watchdog JonNYC and confirmed through Flightradar24 tracking data.
The retrofit will remove seatback screens from these aircraft, which are currently the last short-to-medium-haul planes in American’s fleet to offer this feature. In addition to eliminating the screens, the airline will expand its first class cabin from eight seats to twelve and introduce extra-large overhead bins. Each seat will also be equipped with a power outlet as part of a new cabin design.
American Airlines has previously sent aircraft to El Salvador for major cabin work. In May 2024, it completed converting its first A321T (transcontinental) into a standard two-class layout at the same location. That prototype required approval before returning to service and is currently operating under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. It remains unclear if an STC will be necessary for the A319 retrofit or when final approval might be granted for N8001N's return to service.
