Delta Air Lines Close to Major Airbus Wide-Body Jet Order, Sources Say

Delta Air Lines is reportedly on the verge of finalizing a substantial order for wide-body aircraft from Airbus, according to industry insiders. This potential deal could include additional Airbus A350-1000 jets. There’s speculation that the announcement might coincide with Delta’s fourth-quarter earnings report, possibly as early as this Friday Jan. 12.

Airbus, when approached for comment, chose not to respond to these reports. Similarly, Delta Air Lines maintained its policy of not commenting on what it considers industry speculation.

Historically, Delta has shown a preference for Airbus aircraft, despite its 2022 order of 100 Boeing 737-10 Max jets. As of the end of September, Delta’s fleet included 65 Airbus A330 and 28 A350-900 wide-body planes, with further commitments to acquire 16 more of each model.

The new wide-body aircraft are expected to bolster Delta’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. This area has experienced slower recovery in travel demand post-pandemic compared to the U.S. and Europe. U.S. airlines, including Delta, see Asia-Pacific as a promising market for high-margin revenue, especially in light of rising operational costs. In the current quarter, Delta, alongside United Airlines and American Airlines, plans to increase seat capacity on flights to Asia-Pacific by over 70% compared to the previous year.

This move comes as airlines globally are racing to update their fleets, partly driven by concerns over potential aircraft shortages in the near future. Airbus, in particular, saw significant success in the previous year, setting an industry record for both gross and net aircraft orders.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, airbus.com