15 additional aircraft are in-line with Delta’s ongoing fleet improvement evolution
The US mega carrier Delta has reached an agreement with planemaker Airbus to extend its order book of the highly efficient, state-of-the-art A220 by 15 aircraft to make a total of 90.
Delta's future A220 fleet will consist of 40 A220-100 series aircraft and the remaining 50 will be the larger A220-300 variant. Delta anticipates taking its first delivery of the A220-300 in 2020.
"These additional A220 aircraft will continue to strategically enable Delta to refresh our fleet, drive further advances in the customer experience and serve as an excellent investment for our customers, employees and shareowners for Delta into the next decade," said Gil West, Delta's Chief Operating Officer. "We look forward to taking our first A220-300 in 2020 at the Airbus assembly facility in Mobile, Alabama."
Delta expects all 90 A220 aircraft to be delivered by the end of 2023. The A220-300 aircraft will be configured with 130 seats and offer First Class, Delta Comfort+ and main cabin options for customers.
Some industry commentators have expressed the notion that Delta will actually continue to increase the order for Airbus A220 aircraft as it puts them on schedules in the years to come. The firm placed its initial order for 75 aircraft in 2016. Airbus will produce the A220-300s at a new U.S. assembly facility in Mobile, Alabama. Construction of the plant, to be located adjacent to the existing Airbus A320 assembly facility, will begin later in January.
“Delta has always been deeply focused on the passenger experience, and the A220 fits perfectly with that philosophy,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “You just need to take a look at Delta’s cabin on the A220 to see it’s setting a new standard in short-haul flying. The A220 will provide passengers with a level of comfort and convenience that makes flying a pleasure again while meeting Delta’s high standards for efficiency and reliability.”
The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market; it delivers unbeatable fuel efficiency and true widebody comfort in a single-aisle aircraft. The A220 brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines to offer at least 20 percent lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft. With a range of up to 3,200 nm (5920 km), the A220 offers the performance of larger single-aisle aircraft.
With an order book of more than 500 aircraft to date, the A220 has all the credentials to win the lion’s share of the 100- to 150-seat aircraft market estimated to represent at least 7,000 aircraft over the next 20 years.
