Although demand has slightly increased in recent weeks, coronavirus is still wreaking havoc across the worldwide aviation industry. Airlines are dropping like flies, passenger demand is about as stable as nitroglycerin, and murphy’s law has taken full force over the past months.
In the midst of this pandemic, Delta, along with posting their June 2020 quarter earnings (or lack thereof) announced they are retiring their entire subfleet of 10 737-700s, some of their ex-NWA A320s and 767-300ERs. Doing so will allow for fleet simplification and higher efficiency according to the airline.
Never flew one either but I bet the experience would have been usual top-notch quality as is with DL.
Everyone is cost-cutting, it’s just that simple. A321NEOs should arrive soon along with more A339s to replace the oldest 76s
A319s and A320s are relatively the same age, both are all former northwest birds
A321s are new since DL ordered them not NWA.
Most of the ex NWAs are also retrofitted to include IFE… I guess you somehow found a rare one that was still pre-retrofit or you flew them before the program started
As planned. As they get more 339s they will be able to scrap their horrible 763s. The neos are intended to replace them along with the A330s. DLs 763 product sucks pretty bad imo so I’m glad they are starting to phase out. They have a crap ton of A321s and incoming 32N orders so I’d except 752s to start going down too unfortunately.
I can’t say that I’m surprised. I expected them to retire some of their 757’s (sorry @anon57683537), but they might wait until they acquire some of their planned A321neos to replace the 757 on the domestic and transcontinental routes. Maybe even some of their low-demand routes to Europe. I had no idea that Delta operated so few 737-700s. The A220-100/300 can definitely replace those. As for their A320s that served Northwest, those were even pushing 30 years old. Just a bit younger than Air Canada’s A320s which are also being phased out.
@Pilot_urp Delta may retain a good number of their 767-300ERs as they’re retrofitting them to their Delta One & Premium Select seats. Delta is one of the largest passenger 767 operators, and they might keep most through the pandemic. Delta still has a large number of 757s left, and I doubt they’ll take delivery of those orders soon. Yet again, things always change. It’s anybody’s game now.
I think DL will keep the 757s for some time now. Why? I don’t think they’ll want to accept too many deliveries at this time, and the 757s are too integral to the fleet to be let go just yet (over 100 airframes).
A key issue I imagine here also is the fact that aircraft ordered will keep coming in, let’s not forget that Airbus and Boeing are in dire need themselves so there is only so much delay they themselves will accept without penalties. It serves Delta’s interests to scrap what they can to cut costs and then as demand picks up these newer aircraft can take the brunt, otherwise they would be merely sitting around without much use.
Weirdly BA is apparently getting a few B77W on lease this year at a time where you would expect more aircraft to be a bad idea. I guess every airline is dealing with things differently and the long haul aircraft are more valuable right now with freight etc