Delta toward an Airbus-only long-haul: US airline chooses A350-1000
As Boeing plunges into the limbo of grounding 737MAX-9s following the Alaska Airlines plane crash, Airbus brings [...]
Delta
While Boeing plunges into 737MAX-9 grounding limbo following the crash of the plane of Alaska Airlines, Airbus brings home another major order.
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The U.S. Delta Air Lines has, in fact, placed an initial order for 20 A350-1000 aircraft-a first for Delta, which until now had stopped at A350-900 models.
Goal: the long, or perhaps the very long beam with operations that could involve Asia and South America. It is precisely on flights between North America and Asia-Pacific that U.S. airlines' major investments are being directed, especially after the setback caused by Covid and the slow recovery of the Far East.
At the same time Delta will benefit Of the operational efficiency of the A350-1000, resulting in lower fuel consumption and emissions (about 25% less) and lower operating and maintenance costs than the older models the US giant has in its fleet.
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To date Delta is the first airline U.S. to order the -1000 configuration of Airbus' A350. Current global operators are British Airways, Qatar Airways (the first to take off with the model in 2018), Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, and Delta's SkyTeam partner Virgin Atlantic.
Australia's Qantas, on the other hand, is awaiting delivery of a special version of the A350-1000 that will enable it to fly nonstop between Sydney and New York JFK or to London Heathrow: it is what Qantas has described as Project Sunrise.
Namely. travel more than 10 thousand miles (about 20 hours of flight time) safely from late 2025 aboard an aircraft that is a mix of luxury, comfort and technology.
Qantas' A350 will fly with 238 passengers on board and four classes of service: suite of first class with separate bed, recliner chair and personal wardrobe; a next-generation business suite; a new Premium Economy seat with over 1 meter of personal space and a new Economy seat with nearly 85 cm of space; there will be a wellness area on board Dedicated designed for movement, stretching and hydration.
Delta and long haul all-Airbus?
Ed Bastian, chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines, pointed out that. A350-100 will be "the largest and most capable aircraft" of the airline's fleet, marking an important step in the carrier's international expansion, the aircraft complements our fleet and offers an elevated customer experience, with more premium seats and best-in-class services, as well as expanded cargo capabilities."
But there is much more behind these statements. Compared with the older aircraft that will be replaced by the A350-1000, the latter offers the 15% more premium seats, including Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select and Delta Comfort+ cabins. This is major news for Delta frequent flyers. The -1000, in fact, can carry between 350 and 410 passengers depending on configuration.
For its long-haul flights, then, Delta uses a mix of Boeing 757s and 767s, along with Airbus A330s and A350-900s. The Boeing part, therefore, is relatively old and will soon reach retirement age.
With this latest order-in addition to the nearly 40 A350 900 version aircraft already reserved by Delta-the U.S. carrier's perspective seems to be to focus only on Airbus for the future of the fleet long-range. And even this is not good news for rival Boeing.
