Delta mulls US$2.3b plane purchase for regional fleet
Delta Air Lines is studying a purchase of roomier regional jets with a list value of as much as US$2.3b -- provided the company can get the pilots’ union to accept an overhaul of the small-plane fleet. The carrier told the Air Line Pilots Association it wants the option of adding as many as 50 more planes in the 70- to 76-seat range, according to a union memo sent to pilots Sept 10. Those aircraft, which can accommodate coach and first-class cabins, are more fuel-efficient and profitable than the all-economy 50-seaters now flying many short hops. Delta also told the union it may eliminate the smaller planes without giving a timeline. Pilots’ acceptance of the planes is crucial, because the current labour contract gives the union a say over which aircraft can be flown by Delta’s lower-cost commuter partners. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2016-09-28/sky/delta-mulls-us-2-3b-plane-purchase-for-regional-fleet
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Delta mulls US$2.3b plane purchase for regional fleet
Delta Air Lines is studying a purchase of roomier regional jets with a list value of as much as US$2.3b -- provided the company can get the pilots’ union to accept an overhaul of the small-plane fleet. The carrier told the Air Line Pilots Association it wants the option of adding as many as 50 more planes in the 70- to 76-seat range, according to a union memo sent to pilots Sept 10. Those aircraft, which can accommodate coach and first-class cabins, are more fuel-efficient and profitable than the all-economy 50-seaters now flying many short hops. Delta also told the union it may eliminate the smaller planes without giving a timeline. Pilots’ acceptance of the planes is crucial, because the current labour contract gives the union a say over which aircraft can be flown by Delta’s lower-cost commuter partners. <br/>
