The American airline is separating entirely from its 18 Boeing 777s. Delta relies on Airbus A330 Neo and A350 for cost reasons.
The corona crisis has brought many aircraft to early retirement. Large four-seaters in particular will retire earlier than planned at a number of airlines. For example, KLM has already shut down its last jumbo jet. Qantas and British Airways are also considering an earlier end to the 747. Lufthansa is saying goodbye to six Airbus A380s and five Boeing 747-400s.
Delta Air Lines now even sorts out a long-haul model that only has two engines. “We made the difficult decision to finally shut down our Boeing 777 fleet with 18 aircraft by the end of the year,” wrote Chef Ed Bastian in a letter to his employees on Thursday (May 14).
A350 consumes 21 percent less
“Our A330 and A350-900, which are more fuel efficient and cheaper, will operate long-haul flights as soon as international demand increases,” said Bastian. For example, the A350 consumes 21 percent less fuel per seat than the 777-200.
The Triple Seven has enabled Delta to open up new long-haul markets and expand its international network since 1999, Bastian said. Therefore, the farewell was not an easy one. However, it leads to considerable savings. “Delta currently burns $ 50 million a day and steps like this help us stop bleeding,” the airline’s chief writes.
No Boeing 777X for Delta
Delta 18 Boeing 777-200s are between 10 and 21 years old – on average around 15 years. Delta has not ordered the successor model Boeing 777X, which Lufthansa is relying on.
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