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Delta Air Lines looked close Wednesday to placing an order for 100 Airbus A321neo jets in a boost for Airbus as it tries to narrow a 2017 order gap against Boeing, people familiar with the matter said. The preliminary selection follows a fierce competition and is subject to approval at a board meeting later Wednesday, which could still alter or delay the decision, the people said. Such a deal would be worth US$12.7b at list prices, but would typically involve steep discounts. The A321neo has a significant lead in market share over equivalent Boeing narrowbody models, but faces potential competition from a new mid-market jet being studied by Boeing. But the endorsement from Delta, known as one of the industry's pickiest buyers, brings respite to Airbus after a year marked by a slowdown in sales and internal management tensions. <br/>

A Delta Air Lines plane nearly landed on a taxiway that was occupied by another plane at Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta, federal accident investigators said Wednesday. The NTSB said it has opened an investigation into the Nov 29 incident. Delta flight 2196 had been cleared to land and initially lined up with a runway, but about a mile from the airport the plane began to veer left and lined up with a taxiway where another Delta plane was waiting, according to a preliminary report by the board. The Boeing B737, which was arriving from Indianapolis, descended to about 100 feet off the ground before aborting the landing and circling back for another try, the report said. When the plane pitched upward to begin its ascent in order to abort the landing, its tail reached as low as 60 feet off the ground, the report said. <br/>