Delta Air Lines has set February 7 as the new target date for the long-awaited entry into service of the Airbus 220 after the debut was delayed by the US government shutdown.
Delta decided to postpone the introduction, originally planned for January 31, after the shutdown caused delays in certification processes required by US Federal Aviation Administration.
The inaugural A220 flights were due to depart from Delta’s hub at New York’s LaGuardia Airport with Boston Logan International and Dallas/Fort Worth the first destinations.
“No customer impact is expected as a result of this equipment change and no flights will be canceled because of A220 certification,’’ the airline said in a statement. “The flights will be operated by other aircraft.”
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The Trump administration and the Democrats agreed last week to halt the shutdown for three weeks to allow federal employees to be paid.
However, the major issue underlying the impasse, funding for a wall on the border with Mexico, has yet to be resolved.
It became the longest shutdown in US history and prevented payment to up to 900,000 federal employees, including members of the Transport Security Administration and the FAA.
Staff shortages at the FAA saw Southwest unable to get authorization for a new route to Hawaii and prompted Delta to postpone its A220 debut.
The shutdown prompted US airline chiefs to warn the shutdown had the potential to cause delays and lengthen security lines.
JetBlue chief executive Robin Hayes warned prior to the agreement for the three-week hiatus that the industry was “close to the tipping point”
“The longer this goes on, the longer it will take for the nation’s air travel infrastructure to rebound,’’ he said.
The inability for federal employees to travel has affected airline bookings with Southwest Airlines saying the shutdown had cost it $US15m in January and Delta calculating the impact at about $US25m a month.
American said it was seeing a moderate softness in tickets bought up to 14 days before travel.
Bloomberg reported there was little evidence on Friday of increased flight delays or safety risks the National Air Traffic Controllers Association told the news service there were anecdotal reports of minor errors by controllers.
Delta’s new A220-100s will feature 109 seats with 12 in first class, 15 in Delta Comfort+ and 82 in economy.
They will feature seat-back screens, fast 2Ku Wi-Fi and generous 18.6-inch wide economy seats in a three-two configuration.
The airline earlier this month ordered another 15 of the bigger A220-300s to bring its total order for both versions of the jet to 90 aircraft.
It expects to have all 90 A220s in its fleet by 2023 with delivery of the 130-seat A220-300s starting in 2020.
