Several months ago, whispers circulated that Delta Air Lines was considering a Boeing 787 order, signifying a significant shift from the airline’s current all-Airbus wide body fleet renewal strategy. Now, there is noteworthy news, as the order has been confirmed.
Delta secures a substantial Boeing wide body aircraft order
Delta has confirmed an order for as many as 60 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. This encompasses a firm order for 30 787-10s, along with options for another 30 of these aircraft. The significant detail here is that these aircraft will not begin delivery until 2031, meaning it will be a minimum of five years before the first of these planes enters the fleet.
To provide some context, the 787-10 is the largest variant of the Dreamliner. Although it has the shortest range of any Dreamliner variant, its per-seat economics are excellent, owing to its “stretched” design. Delta asserts that these aircraft will be utilized for flights across the Atlantic and to South America.
Delta has confirmed the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner order
This is how Delta CEO Ed Bastian articulates this order:
“Delta is constructing a fleet for the future, enhancing the customer experience, driving operational efficiencies, and ensuring steady replacements for less efficient, older aircraft in the upcoming decade. Most importantly, these aircraft will be managed by the finest aviation professionals in the industry, offering Delta’s welcoming, elevated, and caring service to travelers worldwide.”
Until now, Delta’s wide body fleet renewal efforts have concentrated solely on two aircraft types:
– Delta’s flagship model is the Airbus A350, with 40 A350-900s currently in service (and four more on the way), in addition to 20 A350-1000s on order; these aircraft serve mainly transpacific and ultra long haul routes.
– Delta’s secondary long haul model is the Airbus A330-900neo, with 39 units in its fleet, and no new orders; these planes primarily facilitate transatlantic flights.
On top of that, Delta must gradually phase out older aircraft:
– Delta operates 42 A330ceos, comprising 11 A330-200s and 31 A330-300s; these aircraft average between 16-20 years old, which is relatively young by Delta’s standards, and they are likely to remain in service for a while.
– Delta has a fleet of 59 Boeing 767s, which includes 38 767-300ERs and 21 767-400ERs; these planes have an average age of 25-30 years, and the 767-300ERs are expected to cease international operations by the decade’s end, give or take.
Delta has been prioritizing Airbus jets for fleet renewal
My perspective on Delta’s Boeing wide body aircraft order
I don’t believe Delta’s aircraft order should come as a shock. Delta operates over 100 “last generation” wide body jets, and the airline required a strategy to ultimately replace the 767-300ERs, A330-200s, 767-400ERs, and A330-300s (probably in that sequence — it seems the A330-300s are staying put, as Delta is planning new cabin configurations for these jets). With that said, here are a few reflections:
– Unlike American and United, Delta has not placed an order for the A321XLR (though it isn’t a wide body, it is a long haul aircraft); it appears that the carrier’s executives are not enthusiastic about the plane, but as Delta increasingly utilizes larger long haul aircraft, there may be some markets where the economics could prove more difficult.
– The 787-10 boasts excellent economics; it is somewhat larger than the A330-900neo while still capable of serving Delta’s entire Europe and South America network.
– Maintaining a focus on three distinct long haul aircraft types represents a more diversified strategy than what is observed at American and United, although this may not necessarily be a drawback considering the scale of the fleets in question.
– Ultimately, Delta’s smallest long haul aircraft could likely be the A330-900neo, with a seating capacity of 281, which is over 30% more than the 767-300ER, which accommodates 211-216 passengers.
– The year 2031 is still quite a way off, so we will need to be patient for these planes; I suppose this also indicates that the 767-300ERs will continue operating until at least then… frustrating!
The 787-10 appears to be a favorable match for Delta, given the number of aircraft that will eventually need replacing. It signifies a markedly different strategy than that of United, which plans for an eventual fleet of over 200 Dreamliners. Additionally, there are rumors suggesting that American is also contemplating a