US legacy carrier American Airlines is looking to balance fleet expansion with financial discipline. The carrier recently announced the sale of $1.14 billion in aircraft-backed bonds in order to fund 17 new aircraft purchases. The sale was also motivated by the means to refinance loans on 15 other jets and support broader corporate liquidity needs. At the same time, it has trimmed its Airbus A321XLR order from 50 to 40 jets.