Originally Posted by
32LatT10
There are heated and at times bizarre discussions in another forum about this...centering around how a 339 is too much plane for certain routes flown by the 763 etc. That often devolves into further arguments over when Delta will order the 787, why Airbus hasn't more heavily marketed the 338, and where Boeing's next widebody is.
I am not an airline executive or network planning VP, so setting all of that aside and speaking purely from a frequent passenger perspective...I like the 339 and would be pleased to see more of them. I believe the original order was for 35 (or something like that) and there was a small top-up order to get to the current number of 39 frames.
To add to this. DL has demonstrated no problem replacing the 763 with the A333/A339 on so many of their routes, to the dismay of a few in the other forum. The difference between just 2019 and 2025 is staggering. DL is even starting brand new seasonal flights with the A333 and A339!
The original order was placed in 2014 for 25 A339s. Sometime in 2018 or 2019, 10 extra A339 orders were placed while 10 A359s were deferred to the mid-2020s. Then top up orders followed.
From what I gather in yet another forum, the plan is to exercise the remaining WB options for the A350.