Summary
- Delta Air Lines CEO stands by Boeing and expresses confidence of their success despite recent incidents.
- Delta Air Lines committed to obtaining 100 Boeing 737-10 MAX jets as a consequence of their fuel efficiency.
- The Boeing 737-10 MAX remains to be undergoing test flights for final FAA certification, but Delta stays committed to their order.
Delta Air Lines operates a mixed fleet, with a slight lean towards Boeing at 53.4%, in response to ch-aviation data. But it surely’s Boeing fleet is growing, and the carrier is awaiting a major order of 100 737 MAX 10 – the most important of the Boeing narrowbody family. CEO Ed Bastian has made clear his confidence in Boeing, despite the recent Alaska Airlines’ Flight 1282 incident with a 737 9 MAX door plug.
“We want them to succeed”
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian shared on business network CNBC’s popular morning show Squawk Box on January 19 his thoughts on Boeing’s situation:
“Boeing is such an important a part of our industry, our history, and that we want them to succeed they usually’re going through a troublesome time. There is no query about it. We fly over 500 Boeing jets each day flawlessly.”
Although nearly all of the interview, as you possibly can watch below, was regarding Delta Air Lines’ bank card partnerships, the subject of Delta Air Lines’ 100 Boeing 737-10 MAX order got here up. Considering the press across the MAX series straight away, it was an appropriate time to get confirmation that Delta Air Lines was still feeling positive about this order.
The week before, CEO Bastian shared with CNBC that,
“I’ve not lost confidence in Boeing – Boeing is so pivotal to our industry, our economy.”
Delta’s 737-10 MAX plans
Delta Air Lines has had plans for the Boeing 737 10 MAX since not less than 2022. When the order was first rumored in March 2022, Easy Flying put together this YouTube:
There’s also Easy Flying’s ultimate guide to the Boeing 737 MAX family. The guide helps explain the 737 MAX family and its many capabilities.
Photo: Boeing
With that, as of January 2024, the 737 10 MAX remains to be going through test flights to acquire final FAA certification to fly paying passengers. But Delta Air Lines remains to be committed to obtaining 100 Boeing 737 10 MAX jets – and it has made clear the 737 10 MAX purchase is a component of its sustainability strategy, being 20-30% more efficient than the aircraft it replaces.
The efficiency of the MAX is primarily as a consequence of the big LEAP-1B turbofans that may generate 28,000 kilos of thrust per engine. THey are also quieter than previous generation engines, which makes airports pleased.
Photo: Delta Air Lines
Moreover, in response to a Delta Air Lines factsheet, below shall be the seating arrangement for every 737 10 MAX:
CLASS |
SEATS |
First-class |
20 |
Delta Comfort+ |
33 |
Predominant Cabin |
129 |
Total |
182 |
Fuel efficiency key to 737-10 MAX confidence
Delta Air Lines’ CEO Bastian’s confidence within the Boeing 737 10 MAX is well-placed. As The Air Current’s Jon Ostrower shared on the Airlines Confidential Podcast on January 17,
“From a performance perspective, the MAX is a superb airplane. It delivers the fuel efficiency that in economics that airlines expect. … You might have customers who’re ordering the airplane and in huge numbers. In the event you were to field an all-new airplane today based on the technology that is accessible, it wouldn’t be that significantly better than the MAX.”
Ostrower then explained that a brand new airplane can be “phenomenally disruptive” as a consequence of requiring recent infrastructure.
Bottom line
Delta Air Lines is holding its order position in obtaining its fleet’s Boeing 737-10 MAX, hoping for capability and efficiency in an evolved package. But as CEO Bastian made clear to CNBC,
“We actually won’t take them [the 737-10 MAXs] until we have now 1,000% confidence that that plane is fully secure, fully, fully protected, and everybody has signed off to that.”
Time will tell.
What are your thoughts? Please share with civility within the comments.