Flight aware says that flight is an A320.
That is one hell of a downgrade unless they slipped a $200 million check in the front galley.

 

Photos from the delivery this AM: https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/delt...irbus-a330neo/

Also, some fantastic journalism in that article with this quote...
The move from Delta to operate an exclusively all Airbus widebody fleet is certainly an interesting one.

I'd correct them in the comments section, but I don't do Facebook. Those of you who do, have at it.

 

well delta currently has no orders for widebodies with Boeing, do they? All the NWA 787 orders have long since been converted to 737-900 orders, and it seems unlikely they're going to order any 737 Maxes anytime soon.

So yeah, it's technically inaccurate to say Delta is operating an all-Airbus fleet, when was the last time they acquired a Boeing widebody? (hint, it was 2010 - in fact, only 22 of Delta's Boeing widebodies were acquired in this century.)

It wouldn't be misleading to say they're moving in that direction.

 

Nonsense, if Boeing launches the MOM plane tomorrow, DL will likely be a launch partner with them and order a bunch. DL has no open orders that can replace its very large fleet of 767s. DL made it clear that they went with 330neos because the large order backlog on the 787 didn't work with their desired scheduled.

 

They will be flying the 777 into the 2030's (the 6 newest 777's are all LR's), so they are not really moving in the direction of all-Airbus widebody fleet anytime soon. A lot can change in the meantime.

It was just poor writing favoring brevity over clarity. Had the article said that "All of DL's widebody deliveries since 2010 have been from Airbus, and it's current widebody order book consists of only Airbus planes. This raises the possibility that DL could be an all-Airbus widebody fleet in 12-15 years." then it would have been a little more accurate.

DL wrote the blueprint on how to operate many differing aircraft types and ages after the NW merger while creating a pretty uniform product system-wide, and doing it more profitably than the competition. They will order whatever is financially the best deal at the time.

 

IF, sure. But they haven't.

 

How long they're keeping the 777s isn't really the issue. If they're retiring Boeings and only buying Airbuses (which has been the trend for some time now, then they're... moving in that direction.

 

I still say nonsense. If you argued they were moving towards having a larger Airbus presence in their fleet, then fine. But to say they are moving towards an all Airbus fleet is just silly IMO.

 

They are moving to whomever has the best deal for replacement aircraft.

They made a great business deal as the North America launch customer for the A350, and an even better deal converting some outstanding 350 orders to the 339. As a customer and shareholder, I love that they did what they could to accelerate the modernization of their widebody fleet.

If they are "moving" to an all Airbus widebody fleet, then the article should quote someone in management who said that was in their long-range plans. That this is a conscious decision. That quote does not exist. What does exist is evidence that they make the best deal on replacement aircraft that fit their needs and retirement/expansion timelines.

It is the simple difference between Association and Causation. Flip a coin 3 times and get heads does not change the probability the next time you flip the coin it will also be heads.

 

I think you guys are overanalyzing it. it's a description of the current situation, not a prediction. They've been buying Airbus widebodies (and have future deliveries lined up) and haven't bought Boeing widebodies in over a decade.

"are moving" is present tense.

 

Correct! And "all-airbus fleet" is ridiculous nonsense.

So your claim of "are moving towards an all-airbus fleet" is present tense ridiculous nonsense.

The last time DL placed an order, Boeing was too busy. So they went Airbus. It seems very likely to me that next widebody order will be Boeing. Then you'll probably get excited about how they shifting their allegiance and trying to ditch Airbus ugh.

 

based on?


lol "excited" ok buddy

 

IMO:
- DL doesn't need any more A350s or A339s beyond what they have on order. Both are great planes, but I think DL has satisfied its need for these.
- There is very little doubt in my mind that the Boeing 797 is coming. I'll go out on a limb and predict that it will be officially announced next month in Paris. DL really wants this plane, they have pushed hard on Boeing to make it. It really seems pretty straightforward to me that this will be DL's next order and the 797 will have an important in DL's fleet.
- I can easily see DL adding a long term order for 10 to 20 777X to get a better price on the whole deal.

Look, I have no dog in this fight, no affiliation with either manufacturer (other than I grew up right next to the Bombardier plant where the A220 is currently being manufactured). I think Airbus was the better deal for what DL needed last time. And it's fairly clear to me that once the 797 comes out, Boeing will be the better deal for what DL needs next time.

I see no drama here, just a well-run airline making good business decisions.

 

Any interior pics yet? I've looked high and low and can't find any. I was really curious as to whether or not the 330 NEO Delta 1 cabin will/will not have the middle overhead bins. While not having them really opens up the cabin on the 350, I've read many complaints that the lack of air vents really makes it difficult to get comfortable.