Delta ordered up to 40 Airbus A350s at the start of 2024. Those will begin arriving next year or early 2027 and feature new business class suites. I told you to expect this order 15 months ahead of time thanks to a wise tip from aviation watchdog JonNYC.

Delta A350-900

Current Delta Business Class Suite

The Atlanta-based carrier has figured out how to beat Trump’s tariffs and has consistently said they won’t be paying any when they take delivery of new European jets.

Delta doesn’t do a good job keeping secrets about their fleet plans. I told you in advance they were planning to buy Boeing 737 MAXs and they did.

Now they’re planning to make another order from Boeing, according again to JonNYC who has been on more than a roll lately. He’s revealed routes that Delta would be announcing (Lufthansa, too), Delta’s plans for suites, and United’s plan to partner with JetBlue.

Now he shares that Delta will be placing an order for Boeing 787s before end of the year or beginning of 2026.

And, yes, 787-10 seems like an extremely safe bet

— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) July 17, 2025

Delta didn’t used to buy Boeing, except for used. But Boeing has had a long way to go to get its act together, and is certainly cutting unprecedented deals to do so. Traditionally airlines pay about 50% of list price for new planes. Delta drives a harder bargain than anyone else – I’ve written in the past whether it’s with partners, suppliers or customers that in a 50-50 deal Delta takes the hyphen.

And right now order books are full into the 2030s. American Airlines has said that they’re big enough that airframe manufacturers will ‘make room’ for them. And no doubt that’s true with Delta as well, especially since Boeing wants an increasing piece of their business. But Delta also needs to spread out their order book precisely because the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing lack the capacity to deliver the planes that airlines want to buy.