American Airlines has officially launched its long-anticipated widebody cabin overhaul with the dispatch of its first Boeing 777-300ER (registration N718AN) to Hong Kong International Airport for an extensive premium retrofit. The ferry flight, which took off from Los Angeles on December 7, 2025, marks the tangible start of ‘Project Olympus’, a multi-year transformation of American’s flagship long-haul fleet.
The aircraft is expected to remain in Hong Kong until spring 2026, reflecting the longer turnaround time typically required for the first aircraft in a retrofit series. Once complete, N718AN will debut a revolutionary interior experience, signaling a new premium era for American Airlines’ widebody operations.
The Birth of Project Olympus: A Delayed but Strategic Evolution
Originally unveiled in 2022, Project Olympus was set to commence in late 2024 but faced supplier delays that pushed its launch into December 2025. With N718AN as the inaugural prototype, American intends to refit all 20 Boeing 777-300ERs with its upgraded interiors, followed by its fleet of 47 Boeing 777-200ERs in the latter part of the decade. The airline is targeting consistency, modernization, and capacity expansion across its international fleet.
A Game-Changer in the Sky: Olympus Cabin Configuration
Gone are the aging Safran First Class suites and Cirrus II herringbone seats. In their place, the retrofitted 777-300ERs will showcase a dramatic interior upgrade:
- Flagship Business is rebranded as Flagship Suites, featuring Adient Ascent reverse herringbone seats with fully enclosed privacy doors.
- Premium Economy cabins will feature the new Safran Z535i seats, equipped with enhanced privacy wings.
- Economy class gets a refresh with Collins Aspire seating, maintaining the same count but with updated amenities.
Each cabin class benefits from larger entertainment screens, refined aesthetics, and space optimization, particularly evident in the forward lavatory redesigns and galley adjustments.
Capacity Reimagined: More Passengers, Less Complexity
In a bold strategic move, the airline will eliminate international first class altogether from its 777-300ER fleet. The classic eight-seat Flagship First cabin is replaced by a more space-efficient and profitable layout:
- 70 Flagship Suites (up from 52 business class seats)
- 44 Premium Economy seats (up from 28)
- 216 Economy seats (unchanged)
- Total seat count: 330, up from 304
This capacity gain comes alongside a reduction in lavatories from 12 to 9, achieved by removing two center lavatories and one rear lavatory, with modifications made to lavatory and galley placement throughout the aircraft.
End of an Era: Farewell to International First Class
The decision to remove first class represents a pivotal shift in American’s premium strategy. While Flagship First will linger on transcontinental routes aboard A321Ts, even this is temporary. The upcoming Airbus A321XLRs, slated to take over those routes, will not feature a first class cabin. Thus, American Airlines is effectively retiring the concept of international first class in favor of enhanced business class offerings.
Competitive Edge: Leading the U.S. Premium Experience
With this move, American Airlines may well outpace its domestic rivals in business class innovation. While United Airlines is preparing a Polaris upgrade and Delta Air Lines is rumored to debut a next-gen Delta One suite on its Airbus A350-1000s, neither will launch before 2026. American’s Flagship Suites are, for now, the most advanced business class product flying for any U.S. airline.
Its consistency across widebodies—despite multiple previous seat types—will now be elevated further by standardizing a top-tier product across its largest aircraft.
What Comes Next: The 777-200ER and Beyond
Once the 777-300ER retrofits are well underway, the 777-200ER fleet will follow with an even more premium-forward layout. These upgrades, however, are not expected to begin before 2027. As of now, no retrofit plans have been announced for the Boeing 787 fleet, which already boasts a more modern baseline interior.
Project Olympus not only redefines American Airlines’ premium product but also signals a deeper strategic commitment to capturing high-yield international travelers with consistency, comfort, and style—one aircraft at a time.
