Delta sees Boeing 757s, 767s as flex fleets for next decade

Delta has yet to make a full decision on the future of its middle-of-the-market fleet. The carrier will continue flying its Boeing 757s and 767s through the decade with a willingness to “flex” either types numbers up or down as warranted. “It’s hard enough to say what we’ll be flying in January, let alone what we’ll be flying in 2027,” Delta President Glen Hauenstein said. “You don’t want to get yourself in a box where you’ve committed specifically” to flying or retiring those planes. The Atlanta-based carrier’s lack of mid-market clarity comes amid similar opacity at the world’s major airframers. Airbus stands by its lineup of the A321neo, which seats between 180-220 passengers in a standard two-class layout and has two longer-range derivatives, the A321LR and A321XLR, on the low end, and the A330-800 seating 220-260 passengers on the high end. Boeing, on the other hand, has no clear mid-market answer since all but cancelling its New Mid-Market Airplane program early in 2021. Only the 737-10, seating 188-204 passengers, and the 787-8, seating 248 passengers overlap with the segment. But while Boeing dithered, airlines — including Delta — embraced the A321neo as the de facto replacement for the 757. However, most carriers still view the A330-800 and 787-8 as “too much airplane” — or having more capabilities than needed — for the mid-market segment.<br/>