Delta just took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo take a look at what passengers can expect aboard the ultra-modern jet
Delta Air Lines
- Delta took delivery of its first-ever Airbus A321neo aircraft on Wednesday, which is the first of 26 coming this year.
- The airline has retired over 100 planes since the pandemic, and the A321neo is expected to replace Delta's aging fleet.
Delta took delivery of its first-ever Airbus A321neo jet, with the plane planned to enter service in May.
Delta Air Lines
According to Flightaware data, the aircraft took off from the planemaker's assembly line in Hamburg, Germany on Wednesday, and was destined for Bangor, Maine, where it refueled before heading to Delta's Atlanta hub.
Courtesy of Flightaware.com
Source: Flightaware
The new A321neo is part of a large order of the type, with 26 expected to be delivered this year, and 155 total purchase commitments through 2027.
Delta Air Lines/Airbus
Source: Delta Air Lines
"The delivery of our first A321neo helps to usher in the next era of premium domestic service at Delta," Mahendra Nair, Delta's senior vice president of fleet and tech ops supply chain, said.
Delta Air Lines
Source: Delta Air Lines
"Not only do these aircraft offer the best customer experience in the industry, but these fuel-efficient airplanes further demonstrate our commitment to a more sustainable future," he continued.
Delta Air Lines
Source: Delta Air Lines
Delta's A321neos will be powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, making the jets 20% more fuel-efficient than its current A321ceos.
Delta Air Lines
Source: Delta Air Lines
The A321ceo is Airbus' original version of the plane and features CFM International CFM56 turbofan engines.
Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
Source: Delta Flight Museum
Premium passengers flying on the A321neo will be treated to Delta's new domestic first class seats aimed at improving passenger comfort and privacy.
Delta Air Lines
The loungers feature an oversized inflight entertainment screen, a fixed headrest, more storage space, a 25% bigger tray table, and customer-facing power ports.
Delta Air Lines
Source: Delta Air Lines
The first class configuration will feature 20 seats in a 2x2 layout. Meanwhile, the plane will also have 24 Comfort+ seats…
Delta A321ceo Comfort+. Delta Air Lines
Source: Delta Air Lines
…and 132 Main Cabin seats. Every seat will feature memory foam cushions.
Delta A321ceo Main Cabin. Delta Air Lines
Source: Delta Air Lines
Delta has not yet revealed the routes that will use the A321neo planes — only that the inaugural flight will be out of Boston. However, because Nair said the plane will offer "premium domestic service," it is likely the plane will operate longer flights within the US.
Delta Air Lines
Delta's A321neo is a major milestone for the company, which has been retiring aircraft since 2019 as a way to simplify its fleet.
Delta Air Lines
While the company planned to gradually purge its aircraft, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the process. Delta retired over 100 mainline jets in 2020 and plans to retire another 150 by 2025.
Delta Air Lines aircraft at Kahului Airport on the island of Maui. EQRoy/Shutterstock
Source: The Motley Fool
By June 2020, Delta sent all of its aging MD-88s and MD-90s to the boneyard, and by the end of the year, it had gotten rid of its 18 Boeing 777s.
CarterAerial/Shutterstock
Source: The Motley Fool
Meanwhile, the airline announced that by the end of 2025, it would retire all 91 of its Boeing 717s and all 56 of its Boeing 767-300ERs.
Delta Boeing 767-300ER. NYC Russ/Shutterstock
Source: The Motley Fool
A handful of A320s were also parked, while 50-seater regional jets are set to retire by the end of 2023.
Delta CRJ200 50-seater jet. Tupungato/Shutterstock
Source: The Motley Fool
With all the retirements, Delta needs to replenish its fleet to keep up with demand, particularly with travel surging in 2021 and continuing through 2022.
A Delta aircraft. James D. Morgan/Getty Images
Source: The Motley Fool
Delta's strategies, like leasing 29 used Boeing 737-900ERs and seven used Airbus A350-900s, will help it simplify its fleet by reducing the number of aircraft types it has. This, coupled with taking on more fuel-efficient planes, will lower the carrier's overall operating costs, particularly in regards to maintenance.
Delta Air Lines at JFK. Ron Adar/Shutterstock
According to Delta, the A321neo will complement its current fleet of A321ceos and grow its overall A321 family to 282 planes.
Delta Air Lines
Source: Delta Air Lines
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