Delta Air Lines fleet
![Many in line airplanes with the Delta Air Lines logo on the tail, parked on pavement behind a fence.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Delta_Planes_at_MCI_%2849879371996%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Delta_Planes_at_MCI_%2849879371996%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Delta Air Lines operates 810 commercial aircraft, making it the third largest airline fleet in the world.[1] In the past, Delta used to purchase or lease older generation aircraft and fly them for sometimes up to an age of over 30 years, much longer than most other major airlines. In 2011 however, Delta began a massive fleet-renewal effort with orders for new and modern narrow- and wide-body aircraft.[2] As a result, Delta today still flies the second-oldest fleet among US big 4 international airlines (American, Delta, Southwest & United),[3] however with the average fleet age reduced to 13.8 years.[4]
Fleet overview[]
Delta's fleet consists of 810 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. 453 Boeing aircraft make up about 56% of Delta's fleet, while its 357 Airbus aircraft make about 44%. Its 278 aircraft on order, however, covering six aircraft types of three different aircraft families, are to be delivered by Airbus in their entirety.[5] Its 677 narrow-body aircraft comprise about 84% of its fleet, while its 133 wide-body aircraft comprise the remaining 16%.
Delta operates the largest fleets of the Airbus A220, the Boeing 717, the Boeing 757, and the largest passenger fleet of the Boeing 767 worldwide.[6][7][8][9] Alongside United Airlines, it is one of only two airlines worldwide operating the Boeing 767-400ER.
Delta primarily uses narrow-body aircraft for its domestic flights within the United States and international flights from the United States to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and some European destinations. Most of its Boeing 717 aircraft are based in Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and are mainly used for short-haul flights.[10] Its Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and Boeing 757 aircraft are used for short-haul flights and medium-haul transcontinental flights, while some of its Boeing 757-200 aircraft are used on long and thin flights to Europe. Delta primarily uses its wide-body aircraft on long-haul flights to Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and South America. Its Airbus A330s, Boeing 767-300ERs,[11] and Boeing 767-400ERs mainly operate on flights to Europe, while the Airbus A350-900 mainly operates on flights to Asia and Oceania.
Delta has one of the oldest fleets of any United States airline, with an average fleet age of 13.8 years as of July 2021. Its oldest aircraft types are the Airbus A320-200, Boeing 757-200, and Boeing 767-300ER, which have an average age of 25.4, 23.9, and 24.8 years, respectively. Its youngest aircraft types are the Boeing 737-900ER, Airbus A350-900, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A330-900, and Airbus A220-300, which have an average age of 4.8, 3.0, 2.7, 1.1, and 0.5 years respectively.[12]
In 2012, Delta began fleet renewal with an agreement to lease all 88 of AirTran’s Boeing 717s from their parent company Southwest, with deliveries between 2013 and 2015. These aircraft would allow Delta to retire DC-9s and smaller regional jets and turboprops.[13] In September 2013, Delta ordered 30 A321, its first order with Airbus in more than two decades.[14] This order would later be incrementally increased with 15 more in 2014,[15] an additional 37 in 2016,[16] and 40 more in 2017.[17][18] In addition, Delta ordered 100 A321neo aircraft in December 2017 to replace its aging McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 series and Boeing 757s.[19]
Delta continued its fleet renewal project with orders for 25 A350-900s and 25 A330-900s aircraft (ordered November 2014) and 95 Airbus A220 (both the -100 and -300 variant) aircraft.[20] In September 2019, Delta assumed purchase rights for 10 A350-900s from LATAM as part of a deal to acquire a 20% equity stake in LATAM airlines group.[21]
In a memo on March 18, 2020, to company employees, Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on airline operations, the company would accelerate the retirement of the remaining MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft, as well as some older Boeing 767s.[22] All the MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft were retired on June 2, 2020, with its final revenue flight from Washington-Dulles to Atlanta on MD-88 (DL88), and from Houston to Atlanta on MD-90 (DL90), becoming the last operator to fly the MD-90 and as well the last major U.S. airlines to fly the MD-88. The retirement of its MD-88s and MD-90s officially ended Delta's 80-year era of flying Douglas and McDonnell Douglas aircraft, which started in 1940 with the DC-3.[23]
Furthermore, on May 14, 2020, Delta announced that the airline would be retiring its Boeing 777s as a result of the pandemic, and to further simplify its wide-body fleet in favor of the Airbus A350-900s.[24] The final 777 revenue flight was from New York-JFK to Los Angeles (DL8777) on October 31, 2020. When Delta announced its June quarter results, it revealed plans to retire the 737-700, as well as accelerate 767-300ER and A320-200 retirements.[25] In September 2020, Delta announced through its SEC filing its plan to retire all Boeing 717-200 and remaining Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, along with phasing out their Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-200s by the year 2025.[26]
In April 2021, Delta added 25 incremental A321neo orders for a total of 125 firm orders and 100 options to begin delivery in 2022. They also accelerated delivery dates for two A350-900s and one A330-900 to 2022.[27] In July 2021, Delta entered into agreements to lease 7 used A350-900s and acquire 29 used Boeing 737-900ERs to complement fleet renewal, with aircraft entering service from 2022 after modifications to Delta cabin configurations.[28] In August 2021, Delta increased its A321neo firm order by another 30 for a total of 155 firm orders and 70 options. [29]
Current fleet[]
As of August 2021, Delta Air Lines fleet consists of the following aircraft:[12][5][30][31]
Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passengers | Refs | Notes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J | F | W | Y+ | Y | Total | |||||
Airbus A220-100 | 41 | 4[32] | — | 12 | — | 15 | 82 | 109 | [33] | |
Airbus A220-300 | 9 | 41[32] | — | 12 | — | 30 | 88 | 130 | [34] | |
Airbus A319-100 | 57 | — | — | 12 | — | 18 | 102 | 132 | [35] | |
Airbus A320-200 | 56 | — | — | 16 | — | 18 | 123 | 157 | [36] | |
Airbus A321-200 | 122 | 5 | — | 20 | — | 29 | 142 | 191 | [37] | |
Airbus A321neo | — | 155[38] | — | 20 | — | 42 | 132 | 194 | [39] | Deliveries deferred to 2022.[40] |
Airbus A330-200 | 11 | — | 34 | — | — | 32 | 168 | 234 | [41] | To be retrofitted with Premium Select seats.[42] |
Airbus A330-300 | 31 | — | 34 | — | — | 40 | 219 | 293 | [43][44] | |
21 | 24 | 203 | 282 | |||||||
Airbus A330-900 | 11 | 26[45] | 29 | — | 28 | 56 | 168 | 281 | [46] | |
Airbus A350-900 | 19 | 23[28] | 32 | — | 48 | 36 | 190 | 306 | [47] | 7 used aircraft leased, to enter service from 2022.[28][48] 10 new orders assumed from LATAM Airlines Group.[49] |
Boeing 717-200 | 53 | — | — | 12 | — | 20 | 78 | 110 | [50] | To be retired by 2025.[51] |
Boeing 737-800 | 77 | — | — | 16 | — | 36 | 108 | 160 | [52] | |
Boeing 737-900ER | 137 | 22[28] | — | 20 | — | 21 | 139 | 180 | [53] | 29 used aircraft to enter service from 2022.[28][48] |
Boeing 757-200 | 100 | — | — | 20 | 41 | — | 132 | 193 | [54] | |
29 | 150 | 199 | ||||||||
16 | — | 44 | 108 | 168 | ||||||
11 | — | 72 | — | — | 72 | |||||
Boeing 757-300 | 16 | — | — | 24 | — | 32 | 178 | 234 | [55] | |
Boeing 767-300ER | 40 | — | 26 | — | 18 | 21 | 151 | 216 | [56] | |
— | 35 | 165 | 226 | 17 aircraft to be retrofitted with Premium Select seats.[42] Some to be retired by 2025.[51] | ||||||
Boeing 767-400ER | 21 | — | 34 | — | 20 | 28 | 156 | 238 | [57] | |
40 | — | 178 | 246 | To be retrofitted with new Delta One and Premium Select seats.[42][58] | ||||||
Total | 810 | 278 |
Fleet history[]
![]() | This list is incomplete; you can help by . (March 2019) |
Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Replacement | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A310-200[59][60] | 2 | 1991 | 1995 | Airbus A310-300 | [61] |
7 | Acquired as part of a deal with bankrupt Pan Am, included its transatlantic operations and 45 aircraft. | ||||
Airbus A310-300 | 9 | 1996 | Boeing 767-300ER | ||
14 | Acquired from Pan Am. | ||||
Boeing 727-100 | 8 | 1972 | 1977 | Boeing 727-200 | Former Northeast Airlines fleet.[62] |
Boeing 727-200 | 163 | 2003 | Boeing 737-800 Boeing 757-200 McDonnell Douglas MD-90 |
Which time the airline operated the world's largest fleet of 727-200, 129 aircraft.[62] | |
20 | Former Northeast Airlines fleet. One crashed as Flight 1141. | ||||
Boeing 737-200 | 75 | 1983 | 2006 | Boeing 737 Next Gen McDonnell Douglas MD-88 McDonnell Douglas MD-90 |
|
Boeing 737-300 | 31 | 1987 | Boeing 737 Next Gen | ||
Boeing 737-700 | 10 | 2008 | 2020 | Airbus A220 | Retired early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Boeing 747-100 | 5 | 1970 | 1977[63] | Lockheed L-1011 TriStar | Retired early due to the 1970s Oil Crisis. |
Boeing 747-400 | 16 | 2009 | 2018 | Airbus A350-900 | Former Northwest Airlines fleet. Last passenger 747 operator in North America.[64] N661US ship 6301, the first 747-400 is displayed at the Delta Heritage Museum. |
Boeing 767-200 | 20 | 1982 | 2006 | Boeing 757-200 Boeing 767-300 |
N102DA ship 102 named The Spirit Of Delta, is displayed at the Delta Heritage Museum. |
Boeing 767-300 | 28 | 1986 | 2019 | Airbus A321-200 Boeing 737-900ER |
|
Boeing 777-200ER | 8 | 1999 | 2020[65] | Airbus A350-900 | Retired early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Boeing 777-200LR | 10 | 2008 | |||
Convair CV-340 Convair CV-440 |
18 | 1953 | 1970 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9 | Originally decided to buy Martin 2-0-2s but in 1951 ordered ten CV-340s instead. Eight CV-440s were delivered from 1956 and Delta modified retrospectively its 340s to 440s.[66] |
10 | Ordered by Chicago and Southern Air Lines were delivered to Delta as a result of their merger in 1953. | ||||
Convair CV-880 | 17 | 1960 | 1973 | Boeing 727-200 | |
Curtiss C-46 Commando | 5 | 1957 | 1967 | Lockheed L-100 | [67] |
Douglas DC-3 | 21 | 1940 | 1960 | Convair CV-340 Convair CV-440 |
[68] |
3 | Curtiss C-46 Commando | Acquired after World War II and operated between 1946 and 1957[69] | |||
Douglas DC-6 | 12 | 1949 | 1968 | Douglas DC-8 McDonnell Douglas DC-9 |
Passenger amenities included a six-person lounge in the rear of the cabin and two pairs of aft-facing seats in the forward cabin[70] |
Douglas DC-7 | 11 | 1954 | Douglas DC-8 | [71] | |
Douglas DC-7B | 10 | ||||
Douglas DC-8-11 | 22 | 1959 | 1981 | Boeing 757-200 | Operated the world's first scheduled DC-8 service (from New York to Atlanta) on September 18, 1959. DC-8-11s were converted to -12s then further converted to -51s.[72] |
Douglas DC-8-12 | |||||
Douglas DC-8-51 | |||||
Douglas DC-8-33 | 7 | 1968 | 1974 | Boeing 747-100 | Acquired from Pan Am and utilized for transatlantic interline services. |
Douglas DC-8-61 | 13 | 1967 | 1989 | Boeing 757-200 | Converted in-house to DC-8-71s in 1982-83[72] |
Douglas DC-8-71 | |||||
Fairchild Hiller FH-227 | 5 | 1972 | 1974 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9 | Former Northeast Airlines fleet.[73] |
Lockheed L-100 Hercules | 5 | 1966 | 1973 | None | Retired after delivery of wide-body passenger aircraft with large under-floor cargo compartments. |
3 | Converted to L-100-20 by Lockheed. Various of replacement aircraft leased from Lockheed during the conversion program.[74] | ||||
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar | 70 | 1973 | 2001 | Boeing 767-400ER | One crashed as Flight 191 |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 | 17 | 1965 | 1973[75] | Boeing 737-200 | Launch customer. One crashed as Flight 9570 |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 | 77 | 1967 | 1993[75][nb 1] | One crashed as Flight 723 | |
27 | 2009 | 2010 | Boeing 717-200 McDonnell Douglas MD-90 |
Former Northwest Airlines fleet. Never wore Delta livery.[76] | |
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-41 | 12 | 2010 | 2011 | ||
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 | 34 | 2014 | Former Northwest Airlines fleet. | ||
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 | 5 | 1972 | 1976 | Lockheed L-1011 TriStar | Ordered in 1971 due to delays in the development of the Lockheed TriStar, sold to United before delivery then leased back by Delta. |
12 | 1987 | 1988 | Boeing 767-300 | Former Western Airlines fleet.[77] | |
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | 17 | 1990 | 2004 | Boeing 767-400ER Boeing 777-200ER |
|
McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | 120 | 1987 | 2020 | Airbus A220 Airbus A321-200 Boeing 737-900ER |
Early retirement accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
McDonnell Douglas MD-90 | 65 | 1995 |
Notes[]
- ^ Delta originally had DC-9-30s from 1967 to 1993. Delta sold some of its DC-9-30s back to McDonnell Douglas, which sold them to ValuJet, forming ValuJet's initial fleet. ValuJet would eventually become Delta's main Atlanta-based rival, AirTran Airways. However, Delta inherited a fleet of -30s in 2008 when it merged with Northwest Airlines. Two of these had been delivered to Delta in 1967.
References[]
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- ^ Bihaskar, Vinay (April 28, 2016). "Delta Confirms Large Bombardier CSeries Order". Airways Magazine. Airways International. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016.
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- ^ "Delta's 777 aircraft to retire by end of 2020, simplifying widebody fleet amid COVID-19". Delta News Hub. May 14, 2020.
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Further reading[]
- Pither, Tony (1999). Boeing 707, 727 and KC-135. Air Britain Historians. ISBN 978-0851302362.
- Delta Air Lines
- Lists of aircraft by operator