Unlike Other Major US Carriers: Why Delta's Fleet Is So Airbus-Heavy
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2024
- On January 12th, Delta Air Lines announced that it was ordering 20 Airbus A350-1000s. When they enter service, the aircraft will be the largest type operating in Delta's fleet. The jets look to be the carrier's flagship type, complete with its highest-end premium products. Interestingly, with the addition of the A350-1000, Delta will operate much of Airbus' in-production aircraft, from the small Airbus A220-100 to the A350-1000. So, while the other major US carriers seem to be more Boeing-heavy, why does Delta buck the trend and go with aircraft from the European planemaker?
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Airbus has strong unions that ensure, among other things, that bolts are tightened to the right torque not just because "trust me bro".
I was just thinking the same . . .
I don't believe that in Europe unqualified people are working on building airplanes. At least in Germany aircraft mechanic is a certified profession with a mandatory three year apprenticeship. There you can specialise on powerplants, general aviation aircraft or aircraft production etc and these are the people who build the planes. I don't believe that any Joe from the street is permitted to rivet on these planes, I just looked over the Airbus website to see what they hire and found no open positions for non-qualified workers. Just for new apprentices, students and already qualified personnel. Actually if I was young again, aircraft mechanic would be something I would look into.
@@petrairene i aint reading all that
@@mainedPlateare you retarded
@@petrairene its not that they don’t know what they’re doing, they know what they’re doing is unsafe and they’re continuing to do it because it’s more profitable to run that way.
With all the issues Boeing is currently dealing with, Delta is probably feeling relieved that they went the Airbus way. Same for other carriers like Spirit and Jetblue.
You must remember that Spirit and JetBlue chose Airbus from the start, because of their being based in the Eastern Seaboard. That made it easy for them to have their jets flown in from Europe before Airbus made the decision to build its U.S. facility in Alabama.
@@johneddy908doubt that’s a factor, it’s just one ferry flight. Ryanair has their 737 flying in all the way from Seattle!
This was probably never even remotely a consideration.
@@johneddy908LOL, no. That’s not a factor.
What was a factor for JetBlue was that Airbus allowed them to not make any payments for the first 3 years for each airplane.
No, delta says Boeing will still be a big part of their company.
Actually, there was an article in airways news some years back. When Richard Anderson was running Delta, he was looking to grow the wide body fleet. Unfortunately, Boeing did not have any immediate open slots for Delta for the 787. Boeing offered up a mix of 777-200s and possibly some 777-300s to be a stop gap until 787 slots opened up. Even though Delta inherited a small order for the 787-8, Boeing was unable to commit to more 787 orders outside of that original order. For Delta, that just wouldn’t do. Living in Atlanta, I remember when Airbus was showing casing their A350-900. They flew a demonstration model to Atlanta for two days when they saw an opening that could not be filled by Boeing. The rest is history and Delta went on to order the A350-900 and more A330s starting with Richard Anderson and now with Ed Bastian. Richard Anderson’s famous last words to Mr. Bastian as he retired as CEO was, we’ve done some great things here so don’t F-k it up.
Chances are, the first US airlines that agree to purchase A350 and A330neo would got large discounts. And Delta is smart enough to jump the ship.
That's a much more interesting explanation than those in the video, which just rehashed obvious stuff like 'fleet commonality', and 'efficiency' (although DL did experience the efficiency of A320s when it took over Northwest).
We all knew that already, and the video went for way too long explaining it.
Well not quite true…. NW was the LAUNCH CUSTOMER on the 787. They had all the first 20ish slots…. Geezeee, everyone at NW knows this. There was a 787 sim at NW at the merger. The import export bank issue was why Boeing refused to add additional slots after Delta blew the whistle. Foreign airlines (that Delta owned) got Boeings cheaper and Delta called their bluf. How the story gets twisted is frickin funny. Unfair trade practices were cited. Both companies got caught and were fined. Until Ed is gone, Boeing and Delta will have issues. AWST reported all this years ago.
@@michaelsteiger8509
Hey man, take that up with Airways News. It’s their article. It would seem you feel like you know more than the journalist that did their research. None us of truly knows all the details and I won’t dabble in conjecture. It is for this reason I referenced the Airways News article that I read from 2017. Enough said.
@@michaelsteiger8509 Great story, this should be published!
Well the main reason is because they can have the A350 almost right away instead of having to wait 15 years for the 777x to get its safety certificate...
I don't think they are even interested in the 777X, considering they retired their 777-200ERs and LRs in 2020
That's literally as far from the actual reason as possible...
Well, using "Boeing" and "safety" in the same sentence is brave. 😉
The reason why Lufthansa is still flying their 747s 😂 👌 🔝 ✈️
A350 is closer in size to the 787 and was designed to compete with the 787
Delta is probably the major reason why Airbus has an assembly line in Mobile, Alabama. Delta took the last of the A321ceo planes built at Mobile and is now accepting A321neo planes.
It’s all the U.S. carriers that necessitate the mobile assembly line. American Airlines is the largest A321ceo operator on the planet and all of the big 3 airlines operate TONS of A320 family jets (both neos and ceos). There are also tons of smaller airlines in the U.S. that are huge Airbus customers (Spirit and JetBlue being two of those).
The reason for the assembly line is the US Govt will impose a very big tax on Airbus planes made outside the US to be used by US Carriers aka Airlines.
@@ianendangan7462 the U.S. doesn’t charge any special import tax on aircraft made outside the U.S. You’re probably thinking of when Boeing tried to get a tariff applied to Bombardier C series jets being imported but that failed in court.
At airbus, every single thing is checked at least 3 times. Check, cross check, recheck. Its the safety culture
In hindsight and with Boeing’s recent issues, it seems to be a good choice. It may not be very popular for US airlines to order from Airbus, but you have to go with what works for you. Nobody complains when European airlines buy Boeing planes.
Fair statement
Delta can’t even retire their 757 and 767s with airbus. They’re waiting on Boeing to produce a 797 product which, as many are predicting, will basically be a sequel to the 757. If Boeing makes a new 757, then they are easily back up there with airbus.
@@thecomedypilot5894 That's an awful lot of ifs and speculation.
@@phildane7411 It’s not speculation. There was literally an interview with Delta’s CEO who said how Boeing is still a major part of their company. And it is also a fact that they are struggling to find a suitable replacement for the 767.
@@thecomedypilot5894 Struggling why? The A330 fits the bill, and they already have a ton of them, even more than 767s. They're just using the 767s they have to near the limits of the airframes, which is understandable.
Delta is just smarter than United or American. They buy the best tools for the job, and do not follow partisanship. They inherited the Nortwest A330s and found out by experience how good they were, so they stuck to them and bought a lot more. That's the spirit.
I am glad at least one American airline doesn't have blind loyalty to Boeing and its clearly inferior in every way product lineup...
Delta likes manufacturers that take Quality Assurance seriously.
Delta definitely made thee Right decision choosing Airbus aircrafts,very smart and Northwest was ahead of their time in doing so as well 💯💯💯
Imagine if Airbus didn’t exist and Boeing was the only manufacturer. There would be a lot less people able to fly.
@@jeremypearson6852 thy may fly, but thy may die.
Possibly the only thing that Northwest did well. They were a hot mess of an airline from a passenger's perspective, and Delta turned that around when they took over.
@@FinnakaLite Boeing's new motto: Everybody will eventually die.
The plural of aircraft is aircraft...
As an occasional flyer in the 90s, I found the B767 to be real progress compared to the previous planes. But since the 2000s, Boeing seems to be stuck, leaving (apparent) customer enhancements to Airbus: the A320 series was (for me) a complete change, and the little I have flown on the A380 I just regret haven't been able to fly more with this marvelous airplane. Maybe one day I will fly on the A350 which seems again something completely different.
Delta not afraid to look over the border and see that there are better options
Perhaps they are fans of planes that don't fall out of the sky
Lol
Well, the only Boeing plane that fell out of the sky because of their fault is the 737 MAX right? And it had its two accidents in 2018 and 2019 right? Delta started ordering Airbuses right after the merger with Northwest in 2008.
@@EuropeanRailfanAlt Why so serious? 🤡
@@hakanevin8545 Just saying. Not all Boeing planes are vulnerable to fall out of the sky
With Boeing planes you hope they are grounded. On the ground they kill nobody
As a Delta customer I wish they had also opted for an AIRBUS product instead of the 737 Max . I'm even willing to change airline in order to avoid flying on that piece of junk
I got you on the airline person kind of flyer haven't flown in nearly 20 years but you know what next time I need to fly out Delta all the way. I was exclusively Continental for a long time but since they decided since United decided to hijack them I stopped I don't do United never have never will.
The Airbus A350’s range can handle a non-stop flight between Atlanta and Manila. It would connect the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the New Manila International Airport.
Correct. for most Filipinos that have skymiles former NWA Worldperks they're going to want DTW-KIX-MNL with the feeder EWR-DTW being an A220 the successor the nwa DC-9 which fed NW71/72 DTW-NGO/KIX-MNL or MSP-NRT-MNL NW1/2
SF highlighted the most obvious reason why Delta chooses A-team. There are clear replacements for B-717, 757 and 767. At B-team there is replacement for 767 only.
"They are" not "there are"
@@soccerguy2433 ok, thanks, Guru.
@@soccerguy2433you’re incorrect as OP is stating that with airbus *there are* replacements for X, Y and Z. they are not stating that airbus is the replacement.
and your name is meant to read “football”
@@soccerguy2433perhaps the person is not a native speaker of English. So he made that mistake. I'm also not a native English speaker, but I try to do my best. A large number of people who respond make the effort to write their response in English. I would like to see you write a short text in correct/perfect French, German, Dutch, etc... and without the help of a translation program Would you be so perfect in our language?
A321neo
Delta is smart, unlike the other american carriers.
Yes, Delta knows that you need to have a mixed fleet from both Airbus and Boeing. Meanwhile, American and United use mainly Boeings.
? JetBlue has used airbus since day one
@@MrShaunG does jetBlue have widebodies?
@@wadehiggins1114 Nope
@@wadehiggins1114no. They only have narrow bodies, specifically the a320,321CEO and NEO, including LR variant of the a321 Neo for transatlantic travel, and the a220 300.
Personally, It’s not un-American to not buy from an American company that has had a drop in value. It’s only common sense. If Boeing was how it was years ago, things may be different
When will the max 10s arrive? Probably never 😂
BTW, Delta purchased C-Series from Bombardier Commercial Aviation so it was a big win for BBD to get a deal with a major carrier (as opposed to regional carrier). The order was transfered to Airbus Canada LP and it became an order for A220s and production shifted to the new Airbus facility in USA.
The C-Series was originally conceived as a replacement for the DC-9 family which were still plentyful in USA in late 1990s (NW had actual DC-9s, AA had MD8x) later, Delta inherited some 717s from Airtran IIRC. The DC-9s were retire instead of replaced but eventually the combined Delta-NW did need some aircraft in that size and the C-Series was a "new airplane risk" while the 717 was a "Boeing is likely to discontinue it as "no invented here" aircraft. Delta's regional carriers such as Comair had been HUGE CRJ customers in the past.
I think that's great that Delta just picks and goes with what plane works best for them.
Delta A330neo 💘
Ive watch several trip report delta a330neo and the cabin looks impressive and quiet.
@@fared___3409 I was on training with air India (engineering)which has currently ex delta 777-200 and it's cabin is still in pristine condition 😭💯
It’s good to have a mix of both manufacturers
With the latest B737 Max desaster, I guess Delta is more than happy to have a solid fleet of A320 for its domestic US service.
They still have Maxes on order and that’s probably despite what people say, not all planes are competitors to each other. They are different enough that it may be smart to run a mixed fleet. No one will do that though because it cost too much
It wasn’t really a disaster. (The plane didn’t crash at all.) It was a component failure and build quality issue. I’m sure Boeing will resolve it eventually.
@@duncanbarrie7397 It was a miracle (like the Japan Airlines A350 accident). If it was at a higher altitude, the results would likely have been a lot more catastrophic. Boeing was pretty lucky, if the accident was as bad as the MCAS ones they would have closed doors for commercial airliners.
To be dair Aurbus isn't "anti-american" they build in Mobile alabama.
Boeing buys parts form other counties (like doors plugs).
Something important to consider is the pilot aspects and their fidelity in the company. Pilots can easily transfer themselves from United to American airlines as they are Boeing focused. Conversely, with the Airbus heavy fleet, delta is pretty protected against losing precious pilots to other American carriers.
That’s not a consideration. Pilots don’t switch airlines, they would have to start at the bottom again. Seniority is everything at US airlines.
Pilot retention, as mentioned, is not a consideration at all. Training cost could be one, as it is very cheap to move pilots between fleets. And, if Delta ever wanted to, they could train their Pilots to utilize MFF (mixes fleet flying) which allows the same pilots to fly the whole A320 family, A330 and A350 even in one duty block. As far as i know that is currently not used in the USA, but is normal elsewhere.
If I am a pilot. Married with kids . I would rather fly A320 than a B737-MAX.
Good on Delta. Great video ❤
Delta obviously appreciate quality and safety .
Well one of the main reason is that when they merged with Northwest which had majority Airbus fleet so they took on those jets and are now ordering their replacements to maintain commonality.
US-Airways also had Airbus wide body when they merged with American, they ditched the planes later. Ironically Alaska did the same, when they merged with Virgin America they ditched the 320's to stay with 737's 😅
@@p4olo537Because USAirways was not a large trans-Atlantic carrier, did not fly across the pacific (except to Hawaii) and only had a small wide body fleet when it bought American and kept the name.
@@p4olo537 Alaska is mainly for commonality reasons, not because Boeing's offers are better.
Absolutely 💯 that’s why I fly Delta ✈️
The most Airbus-heavy airlines in the U.S are Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant.
It's a short story. Northwest got into Airbus because they got a good deal at a time when that Marriot guy ran them into the ground. Delta had always had a tradition of buying planes that were behind the curve to get a good price.
At the time of the DL/NW merger, Delta needed to do something for fleet update anyway and ran with Airbus as NW brought substantial number of A320/319's.
A319's, A320's, and 757's is a good narrowbody spread, and then picking up the used 717's is about as good as it could get.
Maybe Delta saw the writing on the wall decades ago with Boeing being cozy with regularly boards and outright self certification of there own planes for safety. Maybe they saw a company that didn't care about safety?
Or maybe it was a choice like we buy cars, do you buy a Ford Pinto or a Citroën Visa GTi?
A part of this choice has actually been the engineering at Boeing. Some in procurment at Delta started to get wary of Boeing during the start of the 787 days.
Yes cominality is key so it makes sence now, however the real reason was Richard Anderson and the fleet managers at Northwest Airlines when you get down to the core of the question.
Delta’s bet on Airbus has definitely paid off so far. Boeing has been a shit show
Boeing tried to kill the A220, Delta was going to have to pay a lot of tariff on their order, cause Boeing wanted Delta to buy the max 7, maybe they got mad a Boeing practice
It seems to me that Delta is more than a "U.S. carrier," it's a global airline. They haven't limited themselves to Boeing just because Boeing is an American manufacturer. Delta's leadership is clearly foreward thinking, and its passengers & crew are reaping the benefits of it.
Because Delta is smart from The Nortwest time..
Delta is my hometown airline and my favorite aircraft were the B757 and B767. After flying on the A330 and A321 I've switched my loyalty. I find the Airbus aircraft to be quieter and more comfortable than my previous Boeing favorites. I still like those Boeings but given a preference I would choose the Airbus. After the MAX continuing debacles, I won't fly on any Boeing manufactured after the B737-900 though. I'm glad Delta has moved to Airbus.
The reason Delta are buying so many Airbus aircraft is because they recognise quality.
My first time flying on Delta was back in the 70s and it was on a Boeing 727. Loved that equipment!!
That's awesome! The 727 was something else
With Delta being my most flown airline by miles flown, I totally agree that they made the right choice when picking Airbus. I prefer the A330 and A350s over pretty much anything I have flown coming from Boeing (except the 767, which is of course outdated now, but also a nice plane, and the little footnote that I have never flown on a Dreamliner). The 777, while technically really impressive, is a plane I don't like from a passenger point of view. Extremely loud inside. And besides my preference, they seem to work well for the airline.
When it comes to their outstanding MAX 10 orders, I am not sure if we will ever see their delivery. First of all, I am currently doubtful that we will even see this variant being certified anytime soon, and also with all the issues, airlines are losing trust in Boeing, so maybe they back out of this contract. And we all know that Delta are not afraid of flying aircraft a little longer than others (while still maintaining them properly that is. I have been on one of their oldest A330s last year, and if it wasn't for the quite antiquated Delta One furniture, I wouldn't have seen the plane's age.)
On long haul flights, my experience in cattle class, is that the A380 is by far the nicest widebody, followed by the A350, B787 and A330. The B777 is at the very bottom of the list and I have never had a comfortable flight on it.
The Dreamliner was a big pleasant shock for me the first time I flew it, as I was used to 747s and the DC-10 family on my route. Even better than the 763. Since then I've flown on the A330 and the A350s as well, I liked my experience on the A359, but not too much on the A332 and 339. To me, A350 ≥ B787 > A330 >>> B777 > Narrowbodies. I'm looking forward to my A380 trip this summer.
The A340 was great too. 777s and 747s are super loud. Of all the Boeing fleet only the 787 is comparable comfort-wise as a passenger. I'll never understand why there is such a huge Boeing 'fanbase'. Maybe they don't get to fly on different variants much.
Was expecting a mix of -800 in the new order but I do hope they take azul a350s soon
Makes sense.
Everyone seems to want their hands on an airbus product these days however the reality is that the manufacturer may not hold the capacity to fulfill the high order demands as quickly as customers would desire, good luck to everyone
At least half of the aircraft orders are for replacing older aircraft. When airlines cannot get new aircraft in time, they will retire existing ones a few years later than they desired. Not a big deal.
Good point
They might not be major United States carriers, however, both Spirit and Frontier Airlines fleets are purely Airbus planes.
The video is framed on US full-service legacy carriers… which means the big three: American, United, and Delta.
@@CoSmicGoesRacing - Yeah, that is what I said.....
I know many would jump to a particular reason as to why, especially given recent events, but the video hit the nail on the head. Once an airline forms a relationship with an aircraft maker, fleet commonality and support services make it unlikely for them to buy from someone else, unless there’s really no better option within their aircraft supplier’s portfolio that fulfills their needs. Explains why AA and especially UA, have bought A321neos and XLRs. Similarly, DL will need a new domestic workhorse and the MAX 10 is a great choice, because it’s lighter than the 321neo and is likely to be available sooner, even with expected delays.
When empty, a Boeing MAX 10 weighs 156,500 lbs and has a maximum takeoff weight of 197,900 lbs
Empty weight 321neo is 110,500 lb with a max takeoff weight of 213,800 lb
Mmh. Diverging info here. I thought I’d seen a Simple Flying video showing that Max is lighter than 321 .
737-800 is only slightly lighter than similar sized A320CEO, while there are more changes made on 737MAX side than A320NEO side. I doubt the weight difference would be significant.
Where did you get the figure that MAX 10 is lighter than A321Neo?
I have never seen OEW value of MAX 10 anywhere.
@@steinwaldmadchen A320Neo is 44.3t whereas MAX 8 is 45.1t.
Boeing thought they could rely on American airline companies for orders as 'done deals' - but when a much better aircraft comes along the better airlines will but them. Airlines have found Airbus to be more reliable and efficient and have more common controls, allowing pilots to fly many types.
I fly a lot on Delta. It was bothering me that Delta was becoming more Airbus heavy - as I still consider Delta a US airline. However, the A321 is far superior than any of the 737 models and basically competes with the 757, which is no longer made. Boeing has done nothing to replace that size of an airplane other than the poorly designed and performing 737 Max series. I wish Delta flew the 787, but the combination of A330 and A350 seems fit for purpose. I want to fly on an A380, and will so so on another carrier, but that plane missed its target by about 20 years. Delta needs to replace its aging 757 an 767 fleet and Airbus simply makes two replacements and Boeing does not.
You’ll like the A380. It’s fantastic. Astonishingly quiet, comfortable,
The thing about the bottom deck is that the only contact it has with the outside airstream (and its noise) is the side walls. The ceiling has another deck above it, and the cargo hold below, both good sound insulation. Plus it is such a huge aircraft there’s plenty of room for sound insulation too, and they’ve not stinted on it.
Dude the A380 is a freaking flying palace. Especially the 2nd floor upper deck.
After Delta inherited Northwest's fleet, which had Airbus aircraft, they became so interested in Airbus, they only ordered from them ever since, except for one single Boeing order for 100 737 MAX 10s.
Compared to the others, American Airlines did order Airbus jets in 2010 (which is what triggered Boeing), but didn't start operating Airbus planes until the merger with US Airways in 2013. They've also ordered a lot of Airbuses for their narrowbody fleet.
United ordered the A319 and A320 in the 90s, and didn't order any Airbus aircraft again until in the 2010s, when they ordered the A321neo, which they started operating in late 2023, and the A350, which they will start operating in 2030.
"...and the A350, which they will start operating in 2030." This is doubtful.
Airlines do postpone aircraft orders. It does happen. It's a quiet way of saying they don't find them necessary anymore.
If United ordered the A350 in the early 2010s, and has postponed to 2030, a) the A350 design will already be 20 years old and b)I guess they could replace their end-of-line 777-300ERs.
We'll find out around 2026-28 which route United goes: 15-year-certified A350 or newly-certified 777X.
Go Airbus 😍😍
*Delta wants machine that works and gets the job done. They made the right choices looking at the quality decline at boeing.*
I remember when Delta was the first to take delivery of the MD-90.
What about Delta’s engine preference? I think they are PW leaning, unless there are no engine choices like A350 and A330neo
One thing to note is that even if American Airlines and United buy Boeing Widebodies for the long haul, they seem to be much more stuck with the idea of keeping their widebodies small(Even if they buy 777, they have more 772 than 77W), basically, 777X was untouched. It was only delta with that exceptionality that it buys A35K which having a capacity over 350 passenger.
Actually both AA and United have around 20 77Ws each. It's Delta being the oddball of not having similar sized aircraft since the retirement of 744.
they probably know they can't realistically compete internationally when it comes to intercontinental in-flight service. Most of their passengers would be market captured Americans who are locked in by which airline has the closest hub & where most of their frequent flier miles are with.
Because Airbus is a better run company and will actually deliver the products on time. I honestly don't find the products themselves to have any clear competitive advantages (slight ones at best), it's all about the company behind them.
Absolutely ! With Boeing products having endless issues and not being that safe! I personally would not want to fly on a 737 max
A very wise decision
Interesting vid.
They do seem to like the A330 don’t they Delta.
Interesting to find out the commonality between the 330 and 350, that’s very useful for them.
It’s also useful that the A350 is proven platform that is selling well and as you reported in a previous video, AB are upping production from five per month to 9 per month heading into 2025.
The A350 is here and now and at the moment the 777X is kind of pie in the sky, except it’s not in the sky and the date when it’s going to be in the sky, keeps getting put further and further away. And the ‘Boeing troubles’with other aircraft will mean its date will probably get pushed even further back. I don’t think anybody really knows when it’s going to arrive, not even Boeing right now.
I think the other thing to point out from this video is, if Delta are as neutral as you portray and they evaluate an aircraft purely on its merits, not caring if it’s American or European , then Airbus can take the compliment from Delta that their A220 A330 neo and A350 are excellent products coupled with good flying economics.
If an airline runs an all Boeing fleet or an all Airbus fleet, you never really quite know exactly why they are buying them.
For example, small differences in flying economics might take a backseat to the fact that commonality for maintenance and training and bulk buying saves lots of money too.
The A330 is very versatile. It’s well-suited for high density short-to-medium haul, and also medium density medium-to-long haul.
Here in East and Southeast Asia, it’s not uncommon to see the A330 used for short, medium and long haul missions.
For example, Cathay Pacific operates the A330 on select short-haul flights between Hong Kong and Manila. This is because during peak seasons, a lot of Filipinos travelled to and from HK. The airline’s A320neos and A321neos aren’t enough for the demand at times. So, they employed the A330.
On the other hand, with long haul missions, it’s not uncommon for Delta to use the A330ceo and A330neo for both transatlantic flights and also long haul domestic flights like to the US West Coast and Honolulu.
The commonality of Airbus aeroplanes go back as far as the first A320 with their fly-by-wire glass cockpits, so there is enough commonality for a pilot to jump from the A319 to the A380 in one day. The A220 is still the odd one out, but it would not surprise me if Airbus makes the cockpit more similar to other models with future iterations of the A220.
Didn't listen to your video due to the annoyting beat. But:
Delta was of strong Boeing/McD religion with intolerance for 747. (it did fly 747 twice against its will due to 2 separate acquisitions)
When Delta purchased Northwest not long after each emerged from Chapter 11, it inherited Airbus 320s and 330s as well as orders for the 350 and 787. It also inherited the 747-400s. Delta kept the 747s for many years because it had no other aircraft with range to do the trans pac it finally got from NW. It had tried in the 1990s some trans-pac routes with MD11 and failed. Its 777s at time didn't have range.
Delta had a big change of its religion in part due to NW staff moving to Delta HQ, but also because it inherited a relationship and experience with Airbus. Delta did cancel the 350 and 787 orders in part because it was busy streamlining the combined fleet and didn't need new aircraft at the time, and due to uncertainties on both aircraft.
But when the time cam t start looking at fleet, the relationship with Airbus allowed Airbus to make a solid pitch for the 350 and it was a big strategic win for Airbus to win over an airline that was staunchly Boeing. I think that the problems Boeing had with 787 was also an issue. (recall that Boeing gace contract to Voight for main fuselage production, an company that had no experience nor staff to do this - eventually Boeing had to buy the company). And when time came to replace its older 777s, Boeing was moving to 777X which had much uncertainty.
I can see further fleet consolidation towards Airbus in the near future. While the A220-100 best replaces the, the -300 can easily replace their A319’s. With their aging 757.-200’s the A321NEO on domestic and overwater missions can more easily replace them over the MAX 10.
Not having the 777 is really one way to view Delta’s fleet. With their main fortress hub being ATL and having smaller focus hubs on the coast cities, having the A350 (and in earlier years, the 77L for LR routes) makes more sense than the 77W or 779. DL does not have the equivalent of a coastal EWR/DFW/MIA. The hubs in SEA, SLC, DTW, MSP, JFK, and BOS are all able to sustain 330NEO to 350 capacity. This is pretty much the same capacity as before, where you had the 767-400ER and 330-300/777-200s.
The A350-1000 is where things are new for Delta and I suspect we’ll mostly see them at ATL, with a few in JFK. AA was able to sustain 77W routes across the Pacific around when they changed their livery, with UA following suit about five years later
Good choice for delta considering the boeing situation
Absolutely!
All airlines should avoid buying Boeing! Kudos to Delta
It's funny how in spite of Delta having as many Airbus planes as it has, most of my Delta flights are on Boeing jets. My usual route is MSP-PDX, B737-900ER every time. Recently, I flew MSN-SAV, two legs down, three legs back up, all Boeing. My upcoming trip, MSP-DUB, B767-300ER. I have been on a few Airbus flights with Delta, but they are so rare.
Delta to me now made a smart choice in retiring B777s. Initially I thought was wrong especially with LRs. On the other hand brilliant choice ordering A350-1000
A330 transition to A330neo means basically no additional cost and need at retraining crews, as Simple flying said even A330 to a350 is eight days for pilots and for cabin crews probably even shorter. Even though it’s American company, it doesn’t mean it has to always prefer boeing like people think it has to be. Sorry to my Boeing friends we see that Airbus makes better planes. I love the 787 and the 747, but Airbus currently is superior to Boeing and it’s normal even for airlines to prefer their planes, especially with the costs they save with crew trainings.
Delta is also the best rated premium airlines in the US so there you go
Yea I have been on EY140 YYZ Toronto Pearson-AUH ZAYED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.✈️
As a Boeing fan, it really is unfortunate Delta got rid of their 777s so early and the only Boeing widebody they operate now is the aging 767s. But I do understand why they went with Airbus, it was ultimately the best choice for them. Maybe in the future something will change and they will operate new Boeing widebodies again?
I think these things tend to go in cycles, with one of the manufacturers on the up and the other one looking to respond. As things stand, Boeing is in a very bad place. It'll be interesting to see how they respond.
Delta’s 777’s and 747-400’s were amazing in their final iteration. Big, spacious and comfortable! Why did they switch to the A350?
It comes down to the 20% less fuel burn. That’s it. How much is 20% less fuel burn on ATL-CPT, LAX-SYD, LAX-AKL? It’s millions of dollars of savings.
@@brawnbenson552 I must agree the refurbished 777s especially were really comfortable and spacious, due to it retaining a 9 abreast seating in economy, and it also had a slightly wider Delta One seats as well because the fuselage itself was wider than the A350s. Too bad they spent $100M to refurbish it just to retire it 6 months later, miss those planes
It makes sense for delta to go with the planes it has chosen. It is so big it can have a 737 fleet and its range of airbus aircraft. there is an interesting situation in the UK where one of our low cost/charter airlines is changing its mix of planes. Historically it had a Boeing fleet (737 and 757) barring the odd Airbus on lease for the summer season. As its 757's aged and were replaced they opted for the A321 - mostly Neo's. What will be interesting is that it has quite a few B737' getting quite old, will they be replaced by airbus products.
Jet2?
Yes, Jet2. It is interesting that they have not gone for the Max 9 @@FrewstonBooks
United has the A350 on order. Whether or not they’ll actually go through with that order is a different story.
As United is now talking to Airbus about A32xneos and the earliest possible delivery dates for new orders of those, the topic of the A350s might come up…
If United does get bumped into finally taking the A350 and end up liking it, that could spell trouble for Boeing on a wider front than just the 737MAX. A second US carrier getting Airbusified would be bad news.
@@abarratt8869 United would be wise to go for Airbus. Out of all the alliances, they're the ones that fly the most metal to Asia. Mix commonality in & they get more flexibility with their Guam hub.
Love delta, and I love airbus, but If my choice is a 757 over anything else im choosing the 757... But i dont have that choice :P
Boeing did this to themselves. They didn’t have compatible jets when they retired other jets. We shouldn’t have ever gotten a
“ 737 Max” … it should have went from 737 NG straight to the 797. When they retired the 757 Boeing should’ve automatically had its replacement. Delta shouldn’t have ever even looked airbus’s way, because Boeing should have had an adequate replacement for any jet they retired.
Airbus make great planes
Because is practical.
dodged a bullet avoiding the Max, A320/321 are better planes anyway, the extra 30cm of width inside the fuselage makes a difference to passenger comfort
Delta uses Airbus. Delta is smart. Be like Delta.
More than half of Delta's fleet is Boeing. They're the world's largest operator of 717s, 757s and 767s. Boeing is a shit show these years, but Delta has been running Boeing aircraft way before any of the MAX debacle was a thing. The video title is a bit misleading, Delta just have more of an Airbus bias relative to other US carriers but they have a healthy mix of Boeing and Airbus thanks to the NW merger.
Delta was once predominantly Boeing and MD heacy prior to merging with Northwest. Northwest was predominantly Airbus with some DC-9s, and Boeing 747s and 757s .
If Boeing were to come out with a modern replacement for the 757, Delta would be the first in line for sure
They're buying A321s in droves, and unless the new 757 is a sensational product it's unlikely they will switch. And looking at the track record of Boeing quality lately it would be dumb for them to go that way. Not even going for certification of new Boeing airliners, which at this stage is vague at best.
May be they want planes that don’t fall apart
Boeing alienated Delta by insisting that the US add an enormous tariff on the A220s that Delta ordered. Although the A220 competes only withe smallest 737, it's a far more efficient aircraft. Of course Delta wanted it. And Boeing wanted to punish Delta for buying it, and possibly convince them to cancel the purchase and buy 737s instead. Airbus then announced that the final assembly would be in the US, and Delta was able to continue their order with the superior aircraft.
I thought United has an outstanding order for A350s which are all undelivered, not sure whether the order is confirmed ? I remember a previous video said deliveries are only from 2025 onwards, or has that changed ?
I think United A350 deliveries start in 2030
@@EuropeanRailfanAlt ah, thank you!
i doubt they will get them though. why would they postpone the order so that when you get the plane, it is 15 years old? I bet they will wait till their 773s get old and use the a350 to get a discount from boeing for the 777x.
@@PlaneHigh its strange they would delay the a350 order for so long, but i havent heard of united planning to buy 777x, even retirement of their current 777s has never been announced which likely means it wont b anytime soon.
@@Icelandair_B767 i agree, but look at united's 777-300er order, they could be doing the same.
Because they understand that airbus is superior in nearly every regard. They aren’t Boeing fanatics like the other 2 big carriers. As an upper level status medallion member, thank you delta.
If Boeing got its act together and maintained its quality pre 1997 merger it be a whole different story.
Delta along with Frontier, JetBlue, and Spirit are majority Airbus users.
Seeing the actual quality problems of Boeing Delta is in a good position with it's Airbus orders.
A350 are nice
Delta started their airbus relationship taking Pan Ams A310 fleet after they took over their European routes
When this Max come online, I will be switching carriers. I will not fly any Max variants
I think DELTA has chosen wisely!
Because Airbus is king
Because they're smart that's it 😊
I guess Delta doesn't want to kill its customers
I believe DELTA has chosen wisely!
They will drop the Max10 order like United...
does American airlines have a higher percentage of Airbus units?