Delta Air Lines aggressively retired aircraft in 2020, withdrawing over 200 aircraft from its fleet
to manage the near-term impact of the pandemic. Now, with traffic coming back, Delta is trying
to backfill those retired aircraft. So far, it appears Delta is turning to the used market for
aircraft, something that could be a winning decision for the airline in the long run.
Delta retired a total of 227 aircraft in 2020. This is the
list of aircraft that exited the fleet: In the case of the MD family of jets,
Delta had already slated these aircraft for retirement over the next few years
but chose to accelerate the process. The Boeing 777s and 737-700s were cut to
reduce inefficiencies. These were small sections of Delta’s overall fleet. The missions the
737-700 filled were possible with other Delta aircraft. With the Airbus A350-900 on order,
Delta determined that it didn’t need its 18 777s for the time being.
The last batch of 717s, 767-300ERs, and A320s were likely retired due to their age.
These aircraft were probably approaching the cycle for more heavy maintenance
that would have exceeded the value Delta could have generated from the planes.
The remainder of the retirements in Delta’s fleet came from regional capacity that was removed.
This primarily included the 50-seater Bombardier CRJ200s.
While Delta streamlined its fleet to manage the crisis, that does not leave the airline in a
tremendous position to handle the swift recovery we’ve experienced in some parts of the world.
One of the strategies for backfilling the crisis has appeared in the airline’s recent
fleet decisions. In April 2021, Delta added 25 Airbus A321neo aircraft to its order and
accelerated the delivery of two Airbus A350-900s and one Airbus A330neo to the second half of 2022.
Interestingly, it was rumored that Delta was in talks to take over LATAM’s former Airbus A350-900s
and Lion Air’s 737-900ERs. Reporting from The Air Current indicates that Delta
is at the end stages of aircraft acquisition for seven A350-900s and 29 Boeing 737-900ERs.
Delta has also secured registration numbers for aircraft. One such example includes N575DZ,
which, according to the FAA registry, was assigned to an Airbus A350-900.
This aircraft is registered under the Bank of Utah, which is a notable trustee for aircraft.
The 737-900ERs will not backfill all of the lost capacity from the MDs and the A320s,
but it does not need to do all of that work. Delta has continued to take new Airbus A321s, while the
A321neos are also on their way. These will cover all of that capacity and then some. Meanwhile,
the perfect 717 replacement has been the Airbus A220, which Delta is also continuing to accept.
At the end of the day, Delta may still end up having a lower count of aircraft post-crisis. That
may have an impact on Delta’s overall destination count, but it still has opportunities to expand
its fleet in the future. The biggest question now is how quickly Delta would get its planes into
service- with repainting and cabin configuration being some of the main bottlenecks in the process.
This could all change, of course. Previous Delta rumors, included the airline adding
seatback entertainment to the 717s or else trading those jets in for 737 MAX aircraft.
Do you think Delta should take on the LATAM A350s and Lion Air 737-900ERs?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments!