Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is one of the largest carriers in the world.
With nine hub airports across the country, the airline uses its fleet of over 800 mainline
aircraft to connect cities big and small at home and abroad. As it continues to make
investments in new aircraft, it’s also working on retrofitting older aircraft in its fleet.
The Delta fleet has changed significantly over the last two years.
Notably, as a result of the pandemic, the airline has fully retired its McDonnell Douglas
MD-80s and MD-90s, as well as its Boeing 777s.
Delta also withdrew the Boeing 737-700s
and retired a handful of other jets from the 717, 767, and A320 fleets.
The first type we’ll look at is the Boeing 717.
The airline’s fleet includes 54 Boeing 717-200s
in regular commercial service with a large majority of this fleet being leased.
Previously, Delta operated around 90 717s, but has whittled this number down as part
of its fleet simplification strategy, and after introducing the Airbus A220 into its operations.
The 717s seat 110 passengers.
This is split across 12 recliner-style first class seats,
20 extra-legroom economy seats, and 78 standard economy seats.
Notably, this is the only Delta mainline aircraft that lacks on-demand seatback entertainment
as Delta chose not to retrofit this fleet as it moves toward
retiring the planes over the next few years.
The jets typically fly short-haul missions around the East Coast,
primarily out of Detroit and Atlanta, and on routes under two hours of flying time.
Moving on, Delta has two types of 737s in its fleet. This includes the 737-800 and the larger
737-900ER. The -900ER fleet is larger than the -800 fleet, and Delta has been inducting some
used 737-900ERs into its fleet as part of its rebuilding after the mass retirements of 2020.
The -800s seat 160 passengers across three classes
while the -900ERs seat 180 passengers across three classes.
These planes are domestic workhorses for Delta Air Lines and can be found flying
to destinations across the United States – including services to Alaska and Panama.
Next up are the airline’s 757s. This type is flexible and can do everything from
long-haul international to short-haul hops on high-demand routes. Delta flies both the 757-200
and the 757-300, although its 757-200 fleet far outnumbers that of the -300.
The 757-200s come in a few different configurations:
Two of the most popular are standard domestic configurations. However, there’s a special
sub-fleet of 757-200s at Delta which offer a more premium configuration with an overall
lower capacity. This set-up offers 16 lie-flat Delta One seats at the front of the cabin.
There’s also a fleet of 757-200s flying charter missions that are excluded from passenger service.
Finally, the 757-300s feature seating for a whopping 234 passengers
across three classes. Regardless of the variant,
all 757s feature access to power as well as on-demand seatback entertainment.
There are plenty of routes across the United States and near-field international destinations
where the 757 flies to. Some of the destinations further out include Alaska, Hawaii, and Ecuador.
When it comes to the 767, Delta flies both the -300ER
and the -400ER. The airline has set out plans to retire the -300ER within the
next few years, but plans to hang onto the larger -400ERs for a while longer.
Some passengers flying a 767 abroad this year will find themselves on one of Delta’s
planes that have been retrofitted – whether it is the -300ER or -400ER.
Premium passengers up front will find lie-flat, forward-facing, staggered Delta One business class
seats. This is followed by premium economy, extra-legroom economy, and standard economy.
By now, the 767-400ER fleet has been entirely retrofitted to include Delta’s
new premium economy product. This new class is located behind Delta One and in front of
extra-legroom economy and standard economy.
The 767s are workhorses in the international market, flying to Madrid, Barcelona, London,
Accra, and more. At home, the 767s are used to add capacity on high-demand domestic services
and can be commonly found on transcontinental routes such as between Los Angeles and New York.
When it comes to the Airbus A220, Delta Air Lines was the first US-based airline to fly the type,
which was formerly known as the Bombardier CSeries.
The airline flies both variants of the a220: the -100 and -300.
The smaller -100 seats 109 passengers while the larger -300 seats 130.
The aircraft have two classes: a recliner-style domestic first class,
as well as economy class. Economy is subdivided into extra legroom and standard.
The Airbus A220 is quickly becoming a popular aircraft on some of Delta’s more competitive
routes to its competitors’ hubs, in addition to serving some thinner routes. For example,
passengers can find the aircraft flying to cities in Texas like Dallas, Houston,
Austin, and San Antonio. It’s also a common sight in other hubs like Seattle and Detroit.
Moving on, Delta flies a large fleet of A320ceo aircraft. The single largest A320
family fleet Delta flies is that of the 191-seat A321-200, of which Delta has over 120 examples.
With the airline having taken delivery of the last-ever A321ceo to be built, Delta is planning
on taking its first Airbus A321neo sometime this year, which it plans to debut in Boston.
The airline’s smaller A319s are configured with capacity for 132 passengers across
two classes. The mid-size A320s, meanwhile, have room for 157 passengers in two classes.
Like the Boeing 737 fleet, these planes are domestic and short-haul international workhorses.
There are few cities seeing mainline service where
a member of the Airbus A320 family fleet is not scheduled to fly.
When it comes to Delta’s Airbus A330 fleet, the airline inherited the widebodies from
Northwest Airlines before ordering even more of the type for its long-haul needs.
This includes the A330neo fleet, which Delta was an early customer for.
Delta’s A330ceo fleet is in the middle of a retrofit to feature the carrier’s
premium economy product. The unretrofitted A330-200s are outfitted with 234 seats
which include reverse herringbone, lie-flat Delta One seats.
The retrofitted A330-200s seat slightly fewer passengers, with room for 223 onboard.
This is due to 21 new premium economy seats in addition to its DeltaOne and economy classes.
As for the longer A330-300s, the unretrofitted planes have 293 seats onboard
while the retrofitted equivalents have room for 282 passengers.
Finally for the A330s, the -900neos feature seating for 281 passengers across three classes.
The A330 family spends most of its time flying on long-haul international routes,
which include destinations abroad like Lagos and Dakar in West Africa
or Amsterdam and Paris in Europe. In Asia, Delta is currently sending A330s to Seoul and Tokyo.
And finally, the last aircraft in Delta’s fleet we’ll look at
is the Airbus A350-900- the airline’s largest plane by seat capacity.
These jets are the crown jewel of Delta’s fleet and the airline has moved to acquire more,
in order to grow its long-haul capacity.
The A350-900s seat 360 passengers across three classes and fly Delta’s most prestigious
long-haul routes, which include service to Sydney, Australia,
and Johannesburg, South Africa. The type can also be found on routes
from Atlanta and Detroit to Asia and partner hubs in Europe like Amsterdam and Paris.
What is your favorite aircraft in the Delta fleet?
What about your least favorite? Let us know by leaving a comment.