Delta has finally placed an order for up to 130 Boeing B737MAX-10s, the largest aircraft in the Boeing B737MAX family. Why I am saying finally is because it had long been rumoured that Delta is in talks with Boeing regarding this order. The order was placed on the first day (18th July 2022) of Farnborough Air Show 2022 which is currently underway until 22nd July 2022 in the United Kingdom. The announcement included a signing ceremony with Delta, Boeing and CFM executives.
Delta has placed a firm order for 100 B737MAX-10 (or B737-10, as it is now called) with options for 30 more. Deliveries will begin in 2025. The aircraft will be powered by the next-generation LEAP-1B engines manufactured by CFM International, a company jointly owned by GE and Safran Aircraft Engines. The aircraft will be 20%-30% more fuel efficient than the retiring Delta planes it will replace.
Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta Airlines, said:
The Boeing 737-10 will be an important addition to Delta’s fleet as we shape a more sustainable future for air travel, with an elevated customer experience, improved fuel efficiency and best-in-class performance. These new aircraft provide superior operating economics and network flexibility, and the agreement reflects our prudent approach to deploying our capital. This aircraft will be piloted, served and maintained by the very best professionals in the business, and it’s their hard work and dedication to our customers that always sets us apart.
The airline says that the B737-10 aligns with four key pillars of its long-term fleet strategy. They are:
- Size: As a larger aircraft than the those it replaces, the B737-10 provides superior economic benefits as Delta continues to grow the average gauge of its narrowbody fleet.
- Simplification: The 737-10 is expected to share a common training category across Delta’s B737 fleet.
- Scale: The order will grow the size of Delta’s B737 family to more than 300 aircraft by the end of the decade.
- Sustainability: With its next-generation LEAP engines, the B737-10 will be among the most fuel-efficient aircraft in Delta’s fleet, along with the Airbus A321neo.
Stan Deal, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said:
We are proud that Delta is renewing its single-aisle fleet with the 737 MAX, Boeing’s most fuel-efficient family of airplanes. Built in our factory in Washington state with support from key suppliers across the US, the 737-10 will provide Delta with the best economics to carry more passengers across its short and medium-haul routes.
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Delta’s B737-10 will feature 182 seats in total: 20 First Class seats, 33 Delta Comfort+ seats (Premium Economy seats) and 129 standard Economy Class seats. Passengers will experience the Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, with in-flight entertainment and power ports in every seat; satellite Wi-Fi throughout the aircraft; and on-demand video content available through Delta Studio. The cabin will also feature LED lighting.
Delta says that the B737-10, with a top speed of Mach 0.79 and a range of 3,300 nautical miles, has “broad flexibility to serve markets across the U.S. within Delta’s industry-leading network”. The aircraft will be deployed in core hubs including New York, Boston, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle and Los Angeles.
Final assembly of the plane will take place at Boeing’s facility in Renton, Washington, near Delta’s international hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The B737-10 is currently awaiting final certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is expected in 2023. Delta says that in the event of a delay in the delivery of the aircraft, the agreement has adequate protection in place, including allowing Delta to shift to another model of the MAX family if necessary.
Delta Airlines is currently the only airline of the big 3 US carriers (United, Delta and American) to not operate the Boeing B737MAX aircraft.
Meanwhile, Delta Airlines and Kenya Airways recently expanded their codeshare partnership.
Featured image by Delta Airlines
What do you think of Delta inducting B737-10 in its fleet? Let me know in the comments section below.
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