Delta’s fleet of 121 Boeing 757-200 and 757-300 aircraft might remain in service longer than expected amid aircraft delivery delays. The airline has orders for 100 737 MAX 10 aircraft, which has yet to receive FAA approval.
With an average age of 27 years old, some of Delta’s 757s are among the oldest aircraft still operating at major U.S. airlines. According to Cirium Fleet Analyzer data, the airline has retired just one 757-200 this year, registered as N671DN.
During a recent earnings call, Delta’s finance chief, Dan Janki, said the airline would begin retiring aircraft again in 2024, adding that it hadn’t removed any in 2022 or 2023. Janki initially indicated that Delta would retire around 20 jets from its entire fleet this year.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Flexibility Around Boeing
At Delta’s Investor Day event on Wednesday, airline executives noted that the 737 MAX 10s aren’t in its near-term fleet plan.
“We will have to continue to see where Boeing progresses related to the MAX,” Janki shared. “… We’ll see the progress that they’ve made. … [W]e have flexibility around that and how we could manage.”
Delta CEO Ed Bastian noted some contract flexibility with the beleaguered manufacturer “if the [MAX] 10 isn’t produced.” He added that the carrier could extend the life of its 757s and 737-800s as needed; many have been retrofitted with newer interiors in recent years.
“You’re also going to see us potentially extend lives on whether it’s the 757s or [737-800s],” Bastian said. “We have the capability to do that, and we’ve been known to do that over time … . [T]hat could also be part of the mix here too.”
In its presentation to investors, the airline noted that it plans to reduce its fleet families from 13 to seven. It retired the MD-80 and MD-90 aircraft in 2020 and has announced plans to phase out the 767-300s sometime in the 2030s.
