Delta Airlines 777
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May 14, 2020 Delta Air Lines Inc. Plans to retire its 777 jumbo jets made by Boeing Co. And replace them with Airbus SE aircraft in another hit for the beleaguered U.S. Delta’s 18 Boeing 777s will.
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The coronavirus pandemic has claimed another victim in the fleets of U.S. airlines with Delta Air Lines saying that it will retire its Boeing 777s.
The Atlanta-based carrier will remove its 18 777-200s by year-end on expectations of a long and slow recovery in international travel after the crisis, Delta CEO Ed Bastian told staff in a memo on Thursday.
The move will leave Delta with a wide-body fleet made up of solely Airbus jets by next year. This includes its A350-900 flagship that features 32 of its Delta One business class suites, and the new A330-900 that the airline debuted last July.
© The Points Guy A Delta 777 takes off from Sydney. (Image via Getty Images)“Retiring a fleet as iconic as the 777 is not an easy decision,” Bastian told staff. “The 777 played an important role with Delta since 1999, allowing us to open new long-haul markets and grow our international network as we transformed into a global airline.”
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Delta Airlines 777-200
The move comes a day after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast that it could be three to four years before international travel returns to pre-COVID levels.
“We would expect to see domestic air travel markets to be opening first and international markets much slower to open,” IATA chief economist Brian Pearce said on May 13. “International air travel is really dependent on a relaxation of travel restrictions.”
Delta Airlines 777-200lr
Related:Air travel travel won’t return to pre-coronvirus levels until 2023
Prior to the crisis, Delta flew its 777s on long-haul routes around the world, according to Cirium schedules. These include its nonstop between New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Mumbai (BOM) that began in December, and the only U.S. airline service to Johannesburg (JNB) in South Africa.
The wide-body jets also featured some of Delta’s newest cabins. The airline only recently finished retrofitting the 777s with Delta One suites, as well as its Premium Select premium economy seats. Delta was also the only U.S. airline to offer a spacious 3-3-3 economy layout on the planes; American Airlines and United Airlines both configure economy class on their 777s in a tighter 3-4-3 seating layout.
Delta’s 777s are the latest casualty of the coronavirus. The crisis is claiming hundreds of jets from airline fleets, including six types at American Airlines — A330s, Boeing 757s and 767s, Bombardier CRJ200s and Embraer E190s. Delta is also saying goodbye to its McDonnell Douglas MD-88s and MD-90s.
Delta Airlines 777-300
Related:The ultimate guide to Delta One Suites© The Points Guy A Delta One suite on the 777. (Photo by Nick Ellis/The Points Guy)
Delta’s 777 decision is not a complete surprise. Evercore analyst Duane Pfennigwerth told TPG in April that the airline may retire some “oddball” aircraft in its fleet, or models that it has few of with no plans to add more. The 777s are the airline’s smallest standalone fleet.
Delta had parked 677 jets due to COVID-19 as of May 13, according to an update to staff. That includes 10 of its 18 777s as well as all of its Airbus A320s.
One jet that Delta continues to fly is the Airbus A220, a plane that is both comfortable or passengers and economic for airlines.
Delta Airlines 777 Business Class
Related:Why the new Airbus A220 is popular with airlines during the coronavirus pandemic
Featured image by Alberto Riva/The Points Guy.
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Delta Airlines 777 300
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Delta Airlines 777
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