cmd320

DL has said all 777s are out at year's end, both ER and LR. I could see the LRs going to FedEx as they would compliment the existing FedEx 777F fleet. As we know freight airlines are booming these days.

MCO Flyer

There isn’t currently a pax to freighter conversion available for any of the 772 variants so I don’t think they would be able to go to any of the cargo airlines right now.

ethernal

No one is doing P2F conversions on a plane that just passed a D-Check. I am confident that at least one freight company is willing to pick these up for flex capacity and will forgo the P2F. They will load heavy ULDs in the underbelly and bulk out the main cabin where they can. If they don't max out the load, who cares? They will use it where it makes economic sense and since they were bought for pennies on the dollar with low MX costs in the near-term, it's ideal.

There is zero chance a 10-year old 77L that just passed a D-check goes to scrap.

Yellowjj

Agreed. They may inevitably go down this route anyway.

EdmFlyBoi

Well the former Air India ones that were taken by Etihad have started to be parted out (with line number 629 already scrapped) so I don't think many would agree with you. Highly unlikely that any airline would take on an LR in this aviation market, especially in light of better fuel economy of the A350.

cmd320

My understanding was the ex-AI birds were in atrocious condition. In comparison, I would expect DL’s to be meticulously maintained, however who knows.

BenA

It’s too bad these can’t find their way, seats and all, to a partner who could use some fleet renewal. The 777 is too big for most Virgin Atlantic purposes, but Delta’s config sure would make a nice A340/747 replacement for them and give them a major improvement over their current J product. Five years ago before they redid everything Virgin Australia would have been the ideal candidate. KE and AF have too many planes as it is; too big for AM; too nice for KL. China Eastern, perhaps?

If this was a US economic crisis and not a worldwide one, I think they’d absolutely be thinking along these lines. They might be anyway...

Not saying this is likely, it isn’t at all, but it’s also not entirely insane to consider and postulate over on Friday night with a libation.

Sheikh Yerbooty

No integrator is going to operate an aircraft without the capability to load ULDs on the main-deck. That will require a cargo-door to be installed, as well as a restraint/roller system on the floor. Since the only STC proposing to do that is the IAI conversion based on the -300ER, and IAI have not in any way indicated they're looking at doing this for the LR as well, it simply isn't going to happen. Bulk loading the main-deck is an extremely time consuming affair, and doesn't fit the rushed nature of an integrators operation.

As a general cargo aircraft, i.e the likes of Cargolux, Singapore Cargo or Atlas Air, the aircraft is even less attractive.

So unless DL is planning on long-term storage, and with the total withdrawal of the 777 fleet that seems highly unlikely, I'm afraid their future is parting out and beer cans.

jm0933

I've seen some articles framing this as "another blow to Boeing." Delta is just retiring existing aircraft, right? I thought they already weren't ordering any new aircraft from Boeing.

Assuming so - I can't imagine the revenue from providing replacement parts and service to 18 aircraft is a major blow to Boeing vs. anything else that's going on right now.

Newman55

That’s just more clickbait. It has nothing to do with reality.

Steven Citrin

I wonder if they are already starting to phase them out. I was booked on DL 84 ATL-CDG Departing at 11:08 on Sept 2 and woke up this morning and noticed that aircraft type and seat are gone and you cant select that flight anymore out of ATL. While I've flown the 777 to SYD and I am booked on the JNB flight in Oct this would have been my first time in D1 about the 777 but doesn't look like its gonna happen

cbrown5294

same here my lax-ams in gone for early September. Guessing they have cancelled the flight all together ( even thou I was 95% sure I am not going on the trip anyway )

cfabar1

I find this fascinating. It seems to me Delta thinks travel is going to be suppressed for a long time, long enough that on the other side of this they will need new/better planes if they want to grow. I worry that significant layoffs will follow with there being less aircraft to operate.

Steven Citrin

Yeah I was able to speak to someone at the diamond desk and she said that they pulled the route (though there was an earlier 777 flight I couldn't make that one so going direct via JFK) so it seems like they are already cutting them. I was able to move for no cost and apply the GUC to upgrade to D1 on the A333. I too agree with the other post that Delta sure seems to be thinking that its going to be several years before things rebound but idk personally that doesn't seem to be the feeling I get from myself, family and friends who did a lot of traveling prior to COVID and are itching to get back into the air.

I wish there was some idea regarding the flight to Mumbai in 2021 even though its still bookable i feel like its really uncertain on if its actually going to happen but had it down to 600 MC RT with upgrade space in April 2021 but seems to risky right now to book it since my certificates expire in June and have really worked to not waste them as IDK when ill be diamond again

Mountain Explorer

Yes, the impact on Boeing is quite small. But still I'm sure Boeing wasn't exactly thrilled by this news. It's more psychological. Retiring some really young planes, and then explaining that you're going to use a competitor's plane to fly those routes instead is not ideal. And at a time when Boeing has had a a full year of continuous negative press, and could really use good news, literally any good news at all, this is not ideal. But yes, they'll get passed this, and it's certain that some Airbus planes are going to get retired too during these times