Along with its fourth quarter and full year 2023 earnings, Delta Air Lines also announced an order for up to 40 new widebody aircraft on Friday morning.
The Atlanta-based carrier revealed that they entered into an agreement with Airbus on Thursday for:
- 20 first orders of Airbus A350-1000s with deliveries starting in 2026.
- Options for an additional 20 widebodies
This comes on top of their announcement of 2023 full year revenue of $58 billion and operating income of $5.5 billion (9.5% margin). They announced that their mobile app “crossed 1 billion in annual visits in 2023, up 25% year-over-year” and shared scant details about their loyalty program, suggesting broadly that they hit record levels of engagement with no specifics offered. They have been somewhat exaggerating the success of their co-brand relationship with American Express.
Delta was expected to order these new widebody jets before end of the year so they’re a couple of weeks behind what I was reporting, on an order that I first said to expect in October 2022.
Though Delta placed an order for Boeing 737 MAXs, the airline mostly buys Airbus and currently operates about 67 Airbus A330 and 28 A350-900 widebodies, with another 16 and 14 of each on order respectively. They used taxpayer bailout money to buy 10 of their European A350s.
Airbus A350-900, Credit: Delta
Delta historically has preferred acquiring used planes and keeping those flying with an effective TechOps business, leading to an especially old fleet. They’ve also strategically purchased aircraft at low prices. The airline was primarily a Boeing carrier before their merger with Northwest, so it turns out that the coup in selling A320 family planes to Northwest continues to pay massive dividends.
These new long haul aircraft might fly to India, Dubai, Melbourne and even signal a return to Singapore and other long haul destinations in Asia that are currently served only over Seoul by joint venture partner Korean Air.
The A350-1000 is the largest current Airbus widebody aircraft in production. In its densest form it can seat up to 480 passengers (up from a previous maximum of 440) in a configuration delivered to low cost long haul carrier French Bee. A much more passenger-generous Airbus A350-1000 will be used for Qantas ultra-long haul ‘Project Sunrise’ flights.
Airbus A350-900, Credit: Delta
While Airbus touts a fuel burn advantage against the Boeing 777-300ER and planned 777-9, it’s a large aircraft that makes sense on dense routes like U.S. – Europe when airports like London Heathrow and Amsterdam have capacity restrictions in place, or seasonally between large markets like New York and Paris, but risk driving down yields substantially to fill in many other uses.
Yeah they will raise the business miles price to several million each way, making the program more irrelevant than it already is.
Delta is NOT ordering the A350-1000 primarily for Europe. It will be primarily an Asia/Africa/Pacific airplane including building the ICN JV hub. The new A350-900s that are coming this year will allow LAX-SIN and JFK to BOM nonstop, something no US airline can do.
It will seat around 350 passengers and still easily be able to do 18 hour flights – by far the longest range aircraft in the US airline fleet and also the most fuel efficient.
Winning the engine maintenance contract was precisely why Delta waited a year to keep negotiating this order. No other airline currently has these rights.
and Delta OPPORTUNISTICALLY buys used aircraft. the vast majority of its aircraft were delivered new.
And United has the oldest fleet among US airlines by a couple years.
1. By the time delta starts getting a350-1000, delta will easily have the older fleet vs United.
2. Delta bought used 757 from a Chinese carrier, 737 from Lion Air, a350 fom latam, and 717 from Southwest. We’re way past “opportunistic” used buying and that’s ok, tim
Delta does a good job maintaining old planes and they’re proud of it. Nothing to be shy about. But delta will have the oldest fleet, at least, between United and delta by the time these birds are delivered. A simple look at the United order book would tell you that.
Per the engine work. You don’t actually know what kind of deal they got servicing the engine because I certainly don’t see where delta gave details, just overall announcement on it. It seems rather obvious delta’s leverage about the engines was low given the year wait to order the plane even though delta obviously needed the planes. I realize you’ll paint any delta picture with the brightest shade of passport plum, but let’s stick to what we know, not what we hope.
But obviously. Great order by delta for a great plane. I’ve loved my a359 trips on other carriers
Max,
seriously.
United has 90 MAX aircraft grounded right now. The growth plan you THINK United was going to do is simply not going to happen at the pace you think.
And UA’s fleet age is 2 years older than DL’s and will ONLY fall if UA aggressively uses whatever new deliveries it gets to REPLACE aircraft and not grow.
I have flown on the A350-900 and 1000 on multiple airlines. They are outstanding aircraft. The A350-1000 will run circles around AA and UA’s 777-300ERs or 787s.
A new era of Delta longhaul international growth is coming.
And Delta got the MRO contract, MAX. That is the reason they waited a year and played hardball w/ Airbus and Rolls-Royce. You can’t stand to admit that Delta is a better negotiator than any other US airlines.
oh, and Delta posted some very impressive financials which no other US airline will come close to reaching.
I gave up on this order happening yesterday.
Tim Dunn has been bragging about this non-existant order for YEARS (years Delta could have spent simply flying these planes may I add).
Let’s be realistic, Delta is not about to start flying to a bunch of far flung destinations, they’ll add maybe a couple destinations but mostly use this to bulk up existing routes and expand hub to hub flying
“makes sense on dense routes like U.S. – Europe when airports like London Heathrow”
Ummm….No….at least not ~75% of the time for London….US-LHR is all about optimizing the slots and not just throwing more capacity at it. DL uses A321s on JFK-LON for a reason
@Tim Dunn United ran EWR-BOM for years and only paused when Covid hit so they clearly have the capability.
@ Tim Dunn, UA has 200 787s that start delivery in the fall of 2024 that’s not a typo 200. 150 firm with 50 options, you are excited over 20 with 20 options.
NYC to BOM was pulled down due to the Ukraine war adding flight as where some other ULR flights,
DAL international LR and ULR routes are a very small percentage as compared to UA and this will only increase as UAL 787 deliveries start up.
UA delivery book with Airbus and Boeing is unprecedented in aviation history. The deliveries in 2024 and 2025 especially are for more planes than most airlines around the world operate being delivered in a year
We all know you are a DAL fan boy just try to keep things factual.
Again. United’s new plane order book dwarf’s Delta’s order book. That alone even absent retirement will help them pass delta again in fleet age.
“ I have flown on the A350-900 and 1000 on multiple airlines. They are outstanding aircraft. The A350-1000 will run circles around AA and UA’s 777-300ERs or 787s.”
Lol. Ok? The a350 is a great plane. Saying it will run circles around the 787 is dumb and you know it. There are reasons to order one vs the other. The 787 runs circles around the a350 order book (remember when you told us the a350 had more orders? That was funny)
They’re both great planes. This zero sum game you always insist upon is simply dumb. And the fact that it’s based on delta’s choices is even dumber and lacks logic.
“ A new era of Delta longhaul international growth is coming.”
Oh yes… 20 new planes and the most ancient 767 fleet with no replacement lined up yet. Sure.:. “A new era”. Get a grip on reality. Delta isn’t looking to pass United in international capacity which is good because they aren’t going to anytime soon. Why everything is so ridiculously personal about “delta the best” is just funny.
“ And Delta got the MRO contract, MAX. That is the reason they waited a year and played hardball w/ Airbus and Rolls-Royce. You can’t stand to admit that Delta is a better negotiator than any other US airlines.”
Delta got AN engine contract for the engine. That’s it. You don’t know the terms. All you know is that delta couldn’t get it for a year but desperately needed the a350-1000 order so gave in.
I don’t need to admit anything lol. You don’t know anything about the engine contract or the terms of it. Stop pretending and lying.
Delta does a lot of things well. It’s no surprise they’ve focused on engine deals but given the timing of this order, it suggests delta giving in and getting a suboptimal. Delta waited a year to get an engine deal, all the while their a350 orders and timing went to other carriers. All signs suggest to delta giving in.
But if that’s not the case. It’s not like I care. Good for delta if they got an incredible deal fixing engines. But like I said. You don’t know that, whatsoever. So your usual delta nonsense is just that, nonsense based on nothing.
If you’d like to share who your inside source is giving you delta insider info for engine contracts, share away. But you don’t have that so just keep with what you know, not what you pray/hope/desire.
Congrats to delta on a great new order. The a350 is a great plane.
It’s Friday, tim. Don’t spend all Day in the comments section of other people’s blogs… again.
Happy Friday!
DL didn’t have a “large” widebody to compete with UA and AA 777-300ER and when the dropped the 747-400 routes, especially Asia suffered. I still think it’s a mistake that they dropped the 787 NWA order since they don’t have a right replacement size wise for the 767-300’s. The A330-900 and A350 are 50 -70 passengers larger and MSP and DTW won’t support those larger capacities well outside of the summer months. I still think they need 40 ish 787-8 too but time will tell.
Delta may have some of the airplanes to fly long routes when the order starts to be delivered but whether it will be done at a profit or a loss remains to be seen.
Dubai? Doubtful. They could also fly to India today with the A339 or the A359. They just don’t.
Are these 20 A350-1000 intended to replace the older A330-200/300 and/or 767-300/400 aircraft, or is there a possible second part of this wide-body order consisting of additional A330-800/900 Neo aircraft and/or 787-8/-9 aircraft? It also appears the options to purchase up to 20 wide body aircraft could be, but aren’t not necessarily, A350-1000. It just said additional wide-body aircraft.
Those fixated w/ United getting real competition are quaking in their boots.
Those that talk about Delta’s old international fleet ignore the fact that United’s EXISTING longhaul widebody fleet is older AND less fuel efficient than Delta’s.
United has 75 777-200s and scores of 767s that are as old or older – and also less fuel efficent.
Either United uses large numbers of its order book to retire those older aircraft or their fleet age and fuel INEFFICIENCY continues to get much worse.
The 787 cannot do NYC-BOM with Russian airspace restrictions or LAX-SIN with a viable passenger load
The A350 in both versions will run circles around any 777s and 787s in terms of range and cost efficiency
There will be a follow up order on top of options as well as opportunistic used A350 orders.
Delta will be starting a number of very long routes.
Anyone that thought that United would have the corner on very and ultra long haul routes among US airlines is delusional
United book has 245 planes. Delta orders 20.
Tim Dunn: “Those fixated w/ United getting real competition are quaking in their boots.”
lol
245 international aircraft on order (their entire order book at United is MUCH larger).
but sure Tim. I’m sure people are quaking in their boots about Delta’s 20 plane order. lol
Can’t you just enjoy an order that really isn’t that significant? It’s a cool order but literally a joke compared to United’s international aircraft order book.
And again, Tim. Per the MRO. Stick to facts. not hopes and dreams. If you have a link showing what a GREAT deal delta got “servicing” the RR engine, post it. But… the signs are pretty obvious that Delta gave up and just had to order planes absent a decent engine deal.
Max,
you don’t get it because you are blinded by United bias.
Delta does not need to order hundreds of widebodies at a time from Airbus. They are delivering the first A350-1000s in 2 years ON TOP OF the 16 A350–900s and a dozen A330-900s. Delta has almost 50 firm order widebodies on order for delivery in the next 4 years PLUS 20 options.
United has scores of old and inefficient 777-200/ERs and the A350-1000 will fly circles around AA or UA’s 777-300ERs which will be in service for at least a decade after the A350-1000s arrive at Delta.
Your obsession w/ finding fault is pathological.
Delta got a great deal. Waited for the MRO rights and will have a much younger and growing fleet of widebodies.
It is a significant order and it really doesn’t matter if you are incapable of admitting it.
Meanwhile, United has 90 MAX 9s on the ground. After laughing at and mocking WN’s weather cancellations last year, AA, DL and WN are all running full loads esp. in the west carrying AS and UA passengers.
Who knows when the MAX disaster will end but you want to throw dirt at DL because the order book isn’t what you think it should be?
The arrogance, ignorance and hypocrisy is priceless but oh so very you, MAX.
Oh tim, you still can’t post any link about the MRO order because Delta doesn’t seem to want to talk about it very much. But again. It may be a great deal for Delta but I’m simply pointing out that you have no idea and should stick to facts when the obvious look from this order is that Delta gave up on any kind of great RR deal and just ordered the planes after a year of trying. But again… I’m not being dogmatic about it. Perhaps they did but they aren’t saying they did by any means. Their PR statement on the MRO deal reeked of trying to make it sound like they got something out of waiting for a year…
You seem to have no idea about the future size of Delta & United’s widebody and international future fleet.
Try reading and learning sometime instead of incessantly posting your nonsense and trying, unsuccessfully, to insult other posters when they point out when you posit something as fact but just isn’t.
The fact is simple. United has a gigantic order book to replace or reinforce their 767s and 772s. Delta has no such plan for their large 767 fleet.
Delta now has a plane that can compete with the 77W… and yeah… unsurprisingly, it’s newer technology since it will show up around 15 years after AA first got their 77W… I don’t know why it surprises you that a 15 year old 77W will be less fuel efficient than a new A350-1000. But, as usual, you don’t seem to have a clue about the usage of older assets and the right time, financially, to replace them. Ironically, delta actually does this generally well and knows the right time to replace an aircraft given the trade off of fuel efficiency, maintenance of an older plane, and a paid off asset.
This is an order for 20 planes and it’s really cool order But it pales in comparison to United’s widebody order book. United firmed up another 50 787s options just 3-4 months ago and got 50 more options to exercise.
It’s a cool order for Delta and they’ll finally have a plane that can compete more fuel efficiently vs AA & UA’s large widebodies. But… just calm down.
You seem to hate to admit it but even a QUICK look at United’s entire narrowbody and widebody order book shows, without doubt, that United will have a younger fleet very very soon.
I don’t even know who you’re talking about that was mocking WN except you. I recall you hating the idea that Delta had several meltdowns and hated the very idea that Meltdown and Delta were in the same operational sentence by MANY bloggers and news sources. 😉
And I’m not throwing dirt at DL. I’m pointing out that your claims of “a new era in international” are bit amusing since we’re talking about an order of 20 planes vs United’s enormous order book of about 243 international aircraft (firm orders), far larger than their fleet of 767 and 777 you tried to use to back up your claim. Delta is simply unlikely to have the youngest fleet overall or widebody fleet if you have any knowledge, whatsoever, about United’s Narrowbody and Widebody fleet. Frankly, it seems like Delta will pass AA eventually in the fleet age but you’d have to be smoking something serious to think they’ll stay ahead of United.
I’m sure you’ll find some new rant to reply about and some fun exciting new way to insult me (your telltale of when you don’t have any facts to counter with) but enjoy your Friday, Tim. I really hope you don’t spend the rest of it in someone else’s comment blogs desperately defending the company that fired you.
Max,
be done w/ the butthurt.
Get a drink and go to bed.
Delta had dozens of widebodies already on order and now adds 20 A350-1000s and still has options for 20 more.
Not sure why it is so hard for you other than your own butthurt to grasp that UA really does not have any significant lead in aircraft orders when you factor in their much older fleet.
Someone else – not even me – just posted that UA’s widebody fleet is 4 years older than DL’s. That’s not a little amount, Max.
UA has scores of old 777s to replace which will use alot of the 787 order book.
And AA and UA knew the 777-300ER would be dated technology when they ordered it because the A350 and B787 were both already being offered.
DL will simply have a younger, more efficient fleet
The only rant is from you being unable to accept reality.
This non-sense you and others have spouted about the advantage UA would have is simply not reality.
Meanwhile DL specifically said that its bookings are strong in the western US because of the MAX grounding.
AA DL and WN are adding more revenue while AS and UA wait for Boeing to figure out how to properly build planes.
but you in your childishness throw dirt at DL.
1. Post a link to anything supporting your delta MRO claim.
2. Tell me how replacing or reinforcing their widebody fleet with 243 new international planes won’t make for a younger fleet than delta for United. You can’t
Your insults are amusing since it’s all you have when you can’t respond with any simple facts or links to support your claims.
And again. No one has thrown dirt at delta. I’ve thrown a huge thing of mud at your inability to support anything you’ve said about fleet age, how 20 new delta planes vs United’s 243 widebody order book is a new era for delta, or anything whatsoever about delta’s MRO order.
Facts hurt your feelings, tim, but they shouldn’t
Get a life
Tim, you constantly accuse others of AA / UA bias without substantiation. How about you post right now the details about DL’s MRO? What did Delta *really* get? I am honestly asking – tell us what it got? Or admit, that right now, you don’t know – just like Max.
Tim,
You lose all credibility when you can’t debate and you resort to “ Max, be done w/ the butthurt.
[…]
Not sure why it is so hard for you other than your own butthurt
Wow, you wonder why people attack you. Your DL love blinds you and you resort to childish name-calling. Grow up.
It says it right in the press release and other sources confirm it.
Continually arguing details that are apparent including fleet age and orders is childish butthurt. If it stings, consider how wrong that person repeatedly is about the topics he posts on
The bias is his, not mine.
Awesome, the A350 is the most comfortable plane on the market now, it’s good to see that Delta is keeping the quality bent and did not buy the cheap plasticky and narrower 787, which is not as comfortable (besides being shoddily made).
@Tim
Just give us the details of the MRO if you know so much
@ Jake
Did you know DAL does not order the humidifiers on the A-350s ?
Comfortable, humidity is one of the important things on comfort , next is how the seats compare to the competition we don’t know that till the plane shows up.
@ Tim Dunn UA will have over 300 widebody planes in five years , how many will DAL have ? In a single year UA gets more 787s than DAL firm order was, you are delusional.
Congratulations to DAl on the A-350s but they will never hold a candle compared to UAs international footprint, why do you think so many pilots are leaving other airlines to come to UA , simple it’s the growth.
First, humidifier s just breed bacteria. You ever heard of Legionaires Disease (sp)?
United simply won’t have the fleet everyone thinks. They have an international fleet that is 4 years older than Delta with 120 planes that must be replaced in the next 7 years. They won’t grow anywhere what you think.
In case you missed it, United has 90 aircraft – 15% of its domestic capacity- grounded a year after Kirby mocked. Southwest.
Wait til United reports its 4th quarter earnings and it will be clear how far United is from matching anything Delta does.
If you can’t understand the hype that is United and the reality that is everyone else, you will just have to wait and see.
In the meantime, Delta will be growing its long haul international network more efficiently and reduce the network advantage that United has overseas while United will come nowhere close to domestic parity with AA DL and WN
You hang on every word of Scott Kirby’s BS. You will see reality and it won’t be anywhere close to what you think
@TIM Dunn
Humidifiers make you comfortable inflight ask me how I know, because I fly planes with ones now and flew planes for over 20 years that did not, it is noticeable and shows your complete understanding of inflight health and well being. Airbus makes them on A-350s just like Boeing on the 787 both are optional and everyone else orders them with them DAL does not, terrible choice.
Maxes grounded, well yes that will affect quarterly numbers , I really hope you are not so ‘DUNN” as to think UAL and other airlines will not be reimbursed for their losses, most likely with discounts on future airplanes is the norm. Those plane’s will be flying in Feb and people will be surprised when the real issue comes out that caused the door blowout. I can not believe that no journalist is following up on the previous issues with the particular plane. Writers just regurgitate what other writers say so the minute some writer says the bolts are bad everyone repeats it as the problem.
I know you try to come off as an aviation expert but as a person who has been involved in aviation for over 50 years, worked for numerous airlines, had many different jobs in commercial aviation and owns an aviation company I can state unequivocally Tim Dunn is not an aviation expert whatsoever. I work with aviation experts and he is not one.
NONE of UAL wide bodies are scheduled to be retired over the next 5 years, so now you are saying UAL will retire 120 wide bodies in a two year span, show us where it says that. The annual reports show no wide bodies leaving before 2028 which is as far as they project. You are making things up.
DAL international will never be what UAL has for international in the next 20 years. UAL has for the last 40 years been the largest carrier in the Pacific and during COVID UAL became the biggest carrier across the Atlantic for the first time and still is today. They are also the largest carrier to Australia and all of Central America, the only place UAL is not the biggest are South America (American with MIA) and Africa (Delta), I would not be surprised if UAL passes DAL in Africa over time.
Not a real fan of Mr Kirby but I have to admit pretty much everything he said he would do his team has done.
@ Tim — Those UA (and AS) MAX9’s will be flying again sooner han you think, and Delta will still be flying around a bunch of crappy old 767-300s.
30west,
of course Boeing will compensate airlines for lack of use but it isn’t for direct revenues – which is what AA, DL and WN are seeing because of the MAX 9 grounding.
Boeing is essentially writing a check to AA, DL and WN but it will take years for that compensation to get through the system and it will come in the form of credits for new aircraft.
The very reason why UA has ordered so many Boeing aircraft (and WN gets increasing its orders) is because Boeing keeps adding discounts for future aircraft orders.
And for someone telling me that I am not an aviation expert, UA has no choice but to retire dozens of widebodies in the next 5 years alone because many of them including their 767-300ERs which are the same age as Delta’s – are out of time w/o super expensive overhauls.
Gary posted documents months ago showing United’s fleet plan and IT clearly showed widebody replacements in the next few years – even if at nowhere near 100 aircraft – which is what UA needs to do.
And UA might well replace as few aircraft as possible but it will end up w/a much more costly fleet to operate ON TOP OF massively more debt than any other US airline for all of those new orders.
Wall Street didn’t like that Delta might generate ONLY $4 billion in free cash in 2024 and United will get nowhere close to that. United’s debt will go up long before Delta’s.
It is simple math regarding aircraft operating costs, fleet age and debt.
But the United fanclub is so consumed with the BS that comes from Scott Kirby that they can’t possibly see actual facts.