Delta continues to ignore the 777X, but for long-haul returns to Boeing and orders its first Dreamliners
In a rather surprising move, Delta Airlines announced that it has entered into an agreement with Boeing to purchase 30 [...]
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In a rather surprising move, Delta Airlines announced that it has entered into an agreement with Boeing to purchase 30 Boeing 8787-10, the most capacious version of the Dremliner family, With an option for 30 more aircraft of the same type. These are the first 787s ordered by the American carrier.
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The surprise stems not so much from the number of machines purchased, even in the event that the options were then actually redeemed, since Delta (the third largest airline in the world by fleet size) has nearly a thousand airplanes flying in its livery and, of these, about 180 are used for long-haul, but instead from what seems to be a retracing of its steps.
Indeed, when the Atlanta-based carrier took off its 18 Boeing 777-200ERs and -200LRs in the blink of an eye during 2020, it seemed to have definitely gone the way of Airbus In the choice of dual-aisle aircraft, to the point of having put together 40 Airbus A350-900s and 38 A330-900s within a few years. Not to mention the fact that, especially on routes to Latin America and Europe, it also has 42 A330-200s and A330-300s.
Yes, on long-haul there would also be about 60 Boeing 767s, but these are aircraft (of the -300ER and -400ER series) which are on average about 30 years old and certainly do not represent the future of the company's intercontinental operations.
The orientation toward Airbus had been solidified when Delta had completely ignored (as, moreover, it is still doing today) the Boeing 777X, both in its more capacious version -9 and in its 'smaller' version -8, in this following the same path as American Airlines and United Airlines, which also have not contemplated the 2.0 version of the Triple Seven for the growth and renewal of their long-haul fleets.
But lo and behold, almost like a bolt from the blue, Delta partially retraced its steps, putting Airbus 'on pause' and turning to Boeing with an order that could perhaps mark the opening of a new page in its intercontinental fleet renewal strategy, considering the fact that for the 767 as well as the A330ceo one can assume an operational life that is unlikely to exceed the next ten years, within which Delta will have to think about replacing at least a hundred airplanes.
The 787s should be a first step in that direction, considering the fact that, then a note, Boeing says the Dreamliners "will make possible the expansion and modernization of the company's operations over the Atlantic and to South America." (from which it can be deduced that the jets will be based in Atlanta or New York's Kennedy, or at both hubs).
The first deliveries will take place in 2031 and still the exact internal configuration of the aircraft has not been disclosed, although Delta CEO Ed Bastian assured that there will be "ample room for premium cabins, including Delta One Suites.", and that Delta Premium Select (the Premium Economy), Delta Comfort and Main Cabin will also be on board.
