ATLANTA, Nov. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines
(NYSE: DAL) has chosen the Airbus A350-900 and A330-900neo to
replace older generation Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft starting in
2017 and 2019, respectively.
The order for 25 state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft and
25 advanced Airbus A330-900neo aircraft fits within Delta's
existing capacity and capital expenditure plan and continues the
airline's focus on making prudent, cost-effective investments in
its fleet.
"Delta always approaches fleet decisions with a balance of
economic efficiency, customer experience enhancements, network
integration and total cost of ownership," said Nat Pieper, Delta's Vice President – Fleet
Strategy and Transactions. "The A350 and A330neo support our
long-haul, transoceanic strategy and join a mix of Boeing and
Airbus aircraft that provide exceptional flexibility for Delta's
global network as well as strong cash-on-cash returns for our
shareholders."
Airbus A350-900
The long-range Airbus A350-900 will continue Delta's
optimization of its Pacific network, operating primarily on
long-range routes between the U.S. and Asia. The jets are expected to generate a 20
percent improvement in operating cost per seat compared to the
Boeing 747-400 aircraft they will replace. Delta will take delivery
of the A350 beginning in the second quarter of 2017.
The A350-900 will be powered by two fuel-efficient Rolls Royce
Trent XWB engines.
Airbus A330neo (A330-900)
The widebody A330-900neo, an enhancement of Airbus' successful
A330 family featuring greater aerodynamic and economic efficiency,
will be deployed on medium-haul trans-Atlantic markets as well as
select routes connecting the U.S. West Coast and Asia. The aircraft are scheduled to enter the
Delta fleet in 2019 and will deliver a 20 percent operating cost
savings per seat over the Boeing 767-300ER aircraft it will
replace.
The A330neo features the Rolls Royce Trent 7000 engine which is
built with similar technology to the Trent XWB on the Airbus
A350.
Delta began a structured fleet renewal in 2011 with the
selection of new Boeing 737-900ER aircraft along with Boeing 717s
and two-class Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jets, and continued it
with transactions for Airbus A321 and A330 aircraft. Those aircraft
are replacing inefficient older technology airplanes, generating
substantial cost improvement and increased customer satisfaction.
The airline continues to invest in the onboard product and
amenities available to customers on its entire domestic and
international fleet including installation of transoceanic
satellite in-flight Wi-Fi, Delta Studio featuring a library of free
streaming programming as well as more than 1,000 on-demand movies,
television shows and music on large, high-definition seatback
monitors, and other service improvements.
Delta Air Lines serves nearly 165 million customers each year.
This year, Delta was named the 2014 Airline of the Year by Air
Transport World magazine and was named to FORTUNE magazine's 50
Most Admired Companies, in addition to being named the most admired
airline for the third time in four years. With an industry-leading
global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer
service to 318 destinations in 58 countries on six continents.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta
employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline
fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member
of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's
leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and
Alitalia as well as a newly formed joint venture with Virgin
Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers
customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets
including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia,
Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita.
Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities,
global products, services and technology to enhance the customer
experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is
available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta,
Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.
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SOURCE Delta Air Lines