Delta Raiding Other Airlines’ Hubs

Delta Air Lines to Horn in on Rivals’ Patch with New Plane

An internal memo from the carrier indicates that Delta may soon attempt to poach passengers and profits from the likes of American and Southwest.

According to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg News, Delta Air Lines is said to be zeroing in on the hub markets of two of its rivals. LA, NYC and Dallas, which are currently firmly in the patch of American Airlines and Southwest, are all reportedly firmly in the sights of the Atlanta-based carrier, which is hoping to target these markets with its new mid-size plane, the Bombardier C Series jetliner.

It is believed that Delta’s purchase of this new type of craft, a single-aisle plane, will allow it to efficiently serve mid-sized destinations. The outlet reports that Delta ordered around 75 of Bombardier’s CS 100 Series craft last year. Delta will place these planes, which seat between 108 and 133 passengers, on routes currently served by the carrier’s regional jets, each of which have 76 seats.

Speaking of the carrier’s strategy, aviation consultant Robert Mann told the outlet that, “From the standpoint of operating costs, from the standpoint of ownership costs, it’s an ideal aircraft for these not-quite-mainline markets. If it performs as advertised, reliably, it’s going to be a real game-changer.”

Commenting on the specific markets targeted by Delta, aviation consultant George Hamlin posited that, by focusing on Dallas, the carrier was perhaps hoping to acquire business class travelers from Southwest and American.

He also added that, “Southwest is very much a thorn in Delta’s side in its home market in Atlanta. The airline business is about margins, so if you can pry a modest amount of business from your competitor, the margin in that market may become problematic for the incumbent.”

A spokesperson for Delta, however, has declined to comment on the memo or the carrier’s intended strategy for its newly acquired planes.