Delta in deal for up to 200 Airbus A321neos
By Steve Creedy Thu Dec 14, 2017
Airbus has scored a major win in the US with an order from Delta Air Lines for 100 fuel-efficient A321neos and options of up to 100 more.
The deal is worth $US25.4 billion at list prices for the 200 planes but Delta would have received a major discount on that price.
With an average age of more than 17 years on its fleet of more than 800 aircraft, Delta has one of the oldest fleets of any US carrier and the big order will help it retire many of its aging aircraft.
It also delivers a fuel-efficient, single-aisle jet capable of performing both domestic and international routes.
The airline will configure the aircraft with 197 seats, with 20 in first class, 30 in Delta Comfort and 147 in economy.
The planes will feature on-demand entertainment through fast, satellite-based 2Ku in-flight Wi-Fi and streaming video to every seat.
Each seat will also have power ports and the cabins will come with overhead bins that are 25 per cent bigger.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2020 and the A321s will be powered by Pratt &Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engines.
The revolutionary GTF engine promises big efficiency savings — 12 per cent per seat compared to classic A321s — but its entry into service has experienced problems that caused delivery delays for Airbus and prompted airlines to ground jets.
The deal will see Delta TechOps become a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center for the next-generation engines.
Delta is also using a GTF engine on its Bombardier C Series aircraft and will be an MRO provide for both the PW1100G and PW1500G variants. Delta has ordered 75 C100s, the first of which are due to arrive in the spring of 2018, with options for 50 more.
“Pratt & Whitney’s commitment to complete over 5,000 engine repairs and overhauls at Delta TechOps is possible because of the high level of professionalism and quality MRO work the Delta TechOps team performs for the Delta fleet and to more than 150 additional airline and aviation customers based across the globe,” Delta chief operating officer Gil West said.
The order provided the opportunity for another parting shot by outgoing Airbus chief salesman John Leahy.
The 67-year-old leaves the company in January after playing a key role in boosting the manufacturer's global sales and will be replaced by Rolls-Royce executive Eric Schulz.
The Delta order comes after Airbus signed its biggest aircraft order ever at the Dubai Airshow in a deal with private equity firm Indigo partners for 430 aircraft.
Leahy said the US order furthered the European manufacturer’s commitment US aviation.
“Today, there is more US content in Airbus aircraft than from any other country, with more than 40 percent of our aircraft-related procurement coming from the United States,’’ he said. “In addition, our workforce at the U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama is proud that they will be delivering many of these A321neos to Delta in the coming years.”
Airbus in October announced it would take a majority stake in the Canadian company that builds the the C Series aircraft.
Have questions or want to share your thoughts?
