Why Did Delta Retire The Boeing 777?
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- Опубліковано 6 бер 2021
- Why did Delta Retire its Boeing 777 aircraft? In today's video, I take a look at recent developments surrounding the aircraft, the Airbus A350, and A330neo acquisitions, the changing Aviation Industry, and much more to outline the key reasons as to why the airline said goodbye to a classic!
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I traveled on Delta for 8 years globally. Most of the time I was on a 777. I was mostly in 1st class and the experience was unforgettable. The crew was great and fun to interact with. God bless the Delta team.
Spent millions upgrading the 777 with the new Delta One trim, to only retire the fleet after a few years.
I am a former Delta mechanic who used to work in the engine shop (283). Our shop worked the P&W 2037, but we supported the Rolls Royce Trent. QEC work only, no core work since it was under warranty. That was in 2001, ended up furloughed in February 2003 due to 9/11. I distinctly remember seeing a 777 in the hangar for the first time, what a beast. Ended up working for Lockheed on the F22 program and currently the F35. Had a chance to go back to Delta, but had to much seniority with Lockheed at the time and did not want to give it up. Delta was the best job I ever had, really miss it.
I think it’s always sad when an airline retires a type.
Why? It’s how we move forward. Are you saying that they should still be using the 707? Not sure what your comment means. What sad?
@@valuedhumanoid6574 he never said we shouldn’t move forward, it’s just sad that they retired the 777
@@Tom-js3iz What's sad about it? If you get a new car, are you "sad" to see your old one go? That's what I don't get. We're just talking about an obsolete machine being replaced by something new. A child getting sick is sad. Getting laid off is sad. Getting rid of a plane because it's too old and too expensive to operate is not friggin' sad! What's wrong with people?!
@@valuedhumanoid6574 what’s wrong with you buddy? The 777 has been a great aircraft for delta so it’s sad to see it retire, just like it was sad to see the 747 retire. Do you even enjoy aviation?
@@Tom-js3iz I love aviation. Yes, it's been a great aircraft. I suppose when you talk about the nostalgia of something going away, I can understand what you're saying. I just would not use the word sad. Sad has a whole other meaning for me I guess. I would say it served the owners well and it's time to move along to the next chapter. That's what's exciting. Don't look at it like the glass is half full I suppose it's what I mean
When the A350 burns 20% less fuel than the similar sized 777-200LR, according to Delta’s CEO, then it’s quite obvious that they had to go.
Not only that, but with the low demand of this period, maintainance cost of fleets bigger than needed is also a big part
But the A350 is smaller
@@lewisabel681 no, Delta actually seats more in the A350-900 than in the 777-200LR. But the the 777-200LR can carry some more cargo but it burns a hell of a lot of more fuel than the A350-900, 20% according to Delta’s CEO
777 carries double the weight then a 350😱😱😱
@@randyhorstmann8254 Which means they will share the fate of the 747, destined to be freighters and nothing more
Great video and explanation as always DJ. Keep up the good work!❤️👍✈️
You forgot to comment one thing ! The cost of crew for this fleet is the highest on the entire Delta fleet , and also the maintenance cost of the GE90 since That is the only engine that Delta does not overhaul in house !
Really? They didn’t do maintenance on the GE90? I thought Delta Tech-ops maintained & rebuilt all jet engines to the point where even other airlines went through their mechanics because of capabilities and capacities...🤔
@@thomass1620 - yea i watched a video that showed basically that
Why is the cost of crew on this higher?
All of this is true. The 777 was piloted by Deltas most senior crews and with the LRs had the longest flights with said crews. Also the GE90s were not overhauled by Delta. I took a techop tour and got that info directly from the horses mouth....they also could not run them in their engine run up chamber as they were too big and too powerful.
Is the cost of crews really that substancial in the grand scheme of things?
Sad to see the 777 go, especially after an expensive refurbishment. I think it makes sense to retire the ER variants, as they are over 20 years old already, but they should have kept the LRs.
that doesn't make any sense unless they had a younger fleet of LR's ?
Awesome video, great channel!
Enjoyed this video Dan!
I realy enjoy these vids man, they just make me calm in soms way idk but its just relaxing so thank you for making them!!
Aircraft enthusiasm doesn't make a profitable business, Anything with a fuel burn above the lowest available is heading for the jaws of death.
Which is unfortunate as a lot of now retired planes are still less than twenty years old and are still highly reliable and efficient. Its real ashame as cost cutting , inflation and streamlining have all taken priority in not just the aviation world, but the entire business world as a whole, which in my opinion is extremely wasteful in so many ways!,"despite being the most cost friendly/effective way!
You a forgot to take into account the risk factors for the increasing recalls on the 787 aircraft and engines. When you take that into account the A330-900 becomes very competitive.
you also forgot to take into consideration that boeing sucks and always crashes. now that delta has replaced some of their boeings with airbus planes, i trust them more. don't @ me
I suspect most of these 777s are destined for freighter conversions, which is yet another fatal blow to Boeing as the flood of used 777s for cheap freighter conversion will diminish the market for 777Fs
Thanks covid
Darn you
Oh, that explains it. Thanks for the info! I knew that these were quite old so no surprise why those were retired!
Nice! You said in the stream that there will be no video today. 🤔. Happy that there is
MT Aviation Photo & Film did a great story on the Delta 777 retirement and explained a lot of the reasoning in depth and somethings that weren't covered in this video
Hope they all find new home
they will find a new home. in yo @$$
I suspect more than a few will be converted to freighters
In the Mojave desert. Then the cargo companies will probably pick some of the newer ones up.
Oh I’m sure they will, likely as a freighter at their age but there’s always the possibility of another airline buying them
😭best world largest ge90 engine Boeing 777 200lr we miss you
Luckily there are still many long-range 777s in service with the likes of Emirates and Qatar Airways.
777F will be profitable for decades to come
I am happy you are back.
Farewell Delta 777 😭
and hello Delta A350
@@alexandergalfano3187 I love both airliner manufacturers but Boeing planes are just more experienced and the design is just cooler
@@blackopscw7913 And the Boeing ones put money over safety
@@siyaaviation3659 Your wrong chief, that may stand true for the max's but not for the 707,717,727,737(Classic and NG),747,757,767,777,787
@@siyaaviation3659 I'm guessing you're an Airbus fan because all airbus fans think that collectively the entirety of boeings top brass is greedy really it's only a few corrupt people but you guys like to just take the few examples that exist and then makes them like huge.
I did a round trip on Delta, ATL-CDG, in 2019 via 777 (not sure whether it was the same plane or what model). Cabin(s) looked almost new. I was gobsmacked when I heard that Delta was retiring them: it never would have occurred to me that they might want to soon
Most intresting will be what will Delta replace its 767-300ER with!
They are planed to be phased out by 2025 but ther is no plane on order to replace and realisticly also no plane to replace it to order, they canceled the 787 and the A330neo is to big and we all know the NMA won't come before 2030
I love your videos 😍😍😍😍.
My favorite aircraft by far and I had tears to my eyes when we touched down in LAX on DL8777
It’s a sad time for aviation enthusiasts. Lots of people’s favourite airliners being retired early. On the positive side I think DJs videos are excellent. I was ill recently and spent lots of time watching them. Thanks DJ keep up the good work.
We loved the 747 and 777. The fact that airlines have phased out and are currently phasing these planes out is not making me happy.
So sad to not see them in the skies anymore.
I flew in the Boeing 777-200ER from Minneapolis to Paris and it was a beautiful aircraft. One of the best aircrafts I have flown on, the other being WestJet 787-9 Dreamliner.
It would be nice to see Delta get the 350-900ulr and help with the -1000ulr to compliment/compensate for what they lost with the 777-200LR.
It’s because they were large and they would not fill for the next few years. They would rather use the 767-400er, a330-900neo, or a330-300 because they can fill post pandemic. Also 8 of them were going to be retired soon anyways. I think that retiring all of them was a mistake as with Virgin Australia going away they will need to completely rethink their LAX to Australia routes which used to use the 777.
The 777 200 seating capacity is not much different than the 330 Neo 900
Delta already uses the 350 for syd now. Fleet simplification is another reason for retiring. Including fuel efficiency being the main one
The 330's carry more pax than the 777
Well
Atleast the 767 400er still lives
@@davep9266 Only in the -200 series of 777 which has similar length but a lot less than the 73 meter long -300EE
Good video and I enjoy your updates. I am sorry to see the 777 go, but I probably will never fly on a Delta route serviced by the 777.
WHAT!!!!! First the 747's and now the 777's??!!
I think like the 747 - the older 777s days are numbered as more cost effective planes such as the 350 and 787 are available. Given the economic outlook for air travel, I can see the lifespan of older airliners being cut shorter and shorter. Great video as ever DJ, keep up the good work!
Delta never even wanted 747 and only used that airplane when they inherited them in merger with Northwest airlines.
They prefer Airbus now .
@@747heavyboeing3 I’ve noticed that Airbus seem to be getting a greater share of the American market.
True but there are still some mid 80s circa 767s in serves freighters.
I agree with you on passenger aircraft.
757s are also long in tooth but still a great airplane and fast.
@@747heavyboeing3 I loved the 757 but a very rare sight at LHR! (Nowadays at least)
I think from a passenger view, the A350 is what the B777 was when it came online
I would say the A350 sets the bar for LongHaul passenger comfort. Which can vary by the cabin layout. It can be the best
You just don’t want to go on French Bee’s A350’s though. They have a tighter aisle and seat width than the 10 abreast 777’s and also Ryanair level seat pitch which for me is a no go
Nothing like hearing a 777-300er engine’s spool up
I miss them already.
Same thing with sia
Retiring aircraft i like
Sad
I loved the a330
I worked as a manager years ago for Delta. The old school of thinking was to buy American made aircraft. I guess with with the change of management, that thought is out the window.
Makes sense, better save cash than just go with nationalism for sure, if they could get maintenance cheaper or such (like, operate in the US, do maintenance in the US cheaper), it would make sense for them to keep their fleet 'murrican but if the math won't add up, I doubt the sole fact of where the aircraft is made would bring enough costumers to compensate costs.
good for them
It is a very "old school" way of thinking simply because there is no longer such a thing as American (or European) aircraft. Both Airbus and Boeing airplanes include components, subsystems and technologies sourced from American, European, Japanese and other suppliers roughly in equal proportions between the two manufacturers. Both employ the best engineers they can get regardless of their nationality or origin. Whether the final assembly is done in Everett or in Toulouse is almost a mere technicality.
But they loved to get taxpayer funded bailout money. None of that came from Europe.
It looks like their wide bodies will be Airbus
Goodbye To Delta's 777. Man We Have come A Long Way and Is Sad & Bad News. And By The Way Delta is Retire CRJ-200 by 2023, And 717 & 767-300 By 2025. The CRJ-200 is gonna be Gone Forever. Great Video & Keep It going
*There’s a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight*
(If you love inspiration, you can come...)
Aviators are Navy pilots and land on aircraft carriers all others are merely Pilots !
"what a load of bollocks",writes an aviator who pilots planes!
Lovely
Smart move on delta's part ... the A330neo can cover most of the routes the 777 was used for like transatlantic and Asian routes...where more range is needed the A350 comes in like the Atlanta to Johannesburg or LA to Sidney routes burning 30% less fuel than the 200LR
ATL to JoBurg?!! How long is THAT flight?!
@@michaelrmurphy2734 15 hours..... The only american carrier to do so
@@incediery OMG!!! Little wonder they need the range of the A350-900ULR!! But SIA flew Singapore to New York with a special A340 I was just reading about. 18 hours on a plane! YIKES!! Did the B777 fly that far?
@@michaelrmurphy2734 I think the route has less to do with absolute range and more about headwinds....the regular A350 has 8,000+nm but it's new delta had the 777-200lr long before then and it was the only choice for such routes back then
What about the 777x is that plane good ?
Ohhh GOD - I'm a VERY BIG Fan of BOEING B777 Aircraft... It's very sad to c Delta is retiring B777 😭😭😭so they can replace with A330 Neo & A350-1000.... I m waiting for BOEING B777X to come in service......🤗🤗
Yeah I miss the Boeing 777 200lr soo much
Hi @@rickybrown5817 Same here buddy..... Those GE90-110B1 Massive Engines Sounds 😭😭
@@hamannshaikh7398 I know! I miss air Canada Boeing 777 200lr because covid
Wow, that's crazy. These are great aircraft. It's too early to retire them.
They were too big and post pandemic they wanted less big planes. They also didn’t have economies of scale in their hands
The switch to the much more efficient and consistent type of aircraft at this time truly makes sense. The A350 variants and A330 Neos will power Delta into the Future beautifully!
It makes sense for them to get rid of them. I'm sad because I never had the opportunity to fly on DL's 777s.
Maybe they are looking at getting a good sale for them to sure up their bottom.line with the newer aircrafts coming, they will probably be purchased by a cargo carrier very soon
I was on the first 777 flight from Atlanta to Paris RIP 777
Delta did the best thing 👍 Thank you for this video 😊
Nah
So did American for not ordering cancelling the a350!!!!
I love the 777, when I heard Delta was retiring theirs made me sad
Here is something to think about, the 777s were at the perfect age to sale to cargo carriers. Delta had made money with the 777s, but cargo carriers are looking for big airframes to carry a lot of freight at a reasonable purchase price. Delta’s 777s have at least fifteen years of freighter life left in them. Win win for everybody.
It was my favorite airplane ✈️ to work. I loved the 777.❤️😔
What’s next for the LR frames? Cargo conversions?
It just doesn’t make sense to me bc they just refurbished all 777s in the fleet and retiring some more 767 would be a better choice
They were forced to downsize and I guess they considered doing the 777 is the best option despite the refurbishment. 767 and 777 are different type aircrafts and serves different purposes. While Delta may find use for 767 for bit longer, 777 can immediately be replaced by 350
Because the 777s were more expensive to operate. Delta only had 18 777s which is a small amount. They needed pilots for those 18 planes and they used 2 engine types. On the other hand the a330 and a350 can share pilots which makes it a lot easier. They had to outsource maintenance of their 777 engines because of their small amount of the type. The 777s were not all young as 8 of them were delivered in 1999 and 2000. The 777s were also based at 3 hubs Tokyo, LAX and Atlanta. They recently shut down their Tokyo hub. They were also concerned if the 777 would be able to fill on all of its routes post virus. Delta was planning on expanding with its a350s but instead they will slowly replace the 777.
@@G-546 yeah, but in terms of customer experience 777 is far better than their 767s. I flew on their 767 January last year and everything was very old despite there’s some refurbishment. Reading lights weren’t functioning well. It’s not hard to fill up their 777s either. It’s probably only the maintenance cost.
The 777s costed more to operate because of economies of scale. Also the 777s were too big in an environment when air travel would go down and the 777s had a good resale value as they can be converted into freighters.
It's a understandable loss hope they find a great new home
I think it was a good decision for Delta to retire their 777's. During a period of very low demand, Airlines would want to save as much money as possible, and that would include operating the most fuel efficient planes possible. The A350's and A330neo's are more efficient than the 777 so the decision makes sense.
I Hope that Delta Airlines will takes more a330neo to replace their 767
They were inificent and there first 777s (777-232ERs) were old all were at 21 years old but the 200LRs were young but burnt alot of fuel
Delta need to trim their fleet. Too many different types of aircraft after so many mergers and take overs.
...yeah, after the Northwest merger they ended up with 747-400s, DC-9 variants (from model 15s - 50s), MD_80s, 757s, A-319s, 320s, and 330s as well as a pending order for 787-8s (which was cancelled in favour of the A-350). This in addition to (at the time operating) 737 NGs, 767-300s , and 777 200 ERs/LRs. which Northwest did not operate.
@@kyotokid4 awesome amount of information. Cheers
@@kyotokid4 GAWD!!! Sounds like a used car lot!! Used plane lot!!
Imagine being a mechanic and dealing with 6 different fleet types in one night
@@justing42 ...yeah Northwest mechanics faced that issue after the acquisition of Republic and their AIrbus purchases. At one time their fleet included the following: A-319, A-320, A-330, 727 (100, 200), 747 (100, 200B, 200F, 400) , 757-200, DC-10-30), DC-9 (10, 30, 50) and MD-82, They would have also had the A-340 but cancelled that order
I didn't know they had. They could give one to me if the fuel and parking costs weren't so high.
Considering the current situation in the world wide airline industry you have to do what has to be done to stay competitive for the future.......
**I am former employee for Delta**------RETIRED
The retirement was a business deal more than anything.
I love delta 777-200LR soooo much ! 😭😭😭💔💔💔 my beautiful favorite is delta 777s 😭😭😭😭
My 2 favorite Boeing jets are, the 757 and it's big sister, the Triple 7.❤❤❤🥰🥰🥰✈️
Smart,Delta already has too many aircraft types
I flew on these 777 hundreds of times in business class. Some had fantastic business class layouts and some sucked.
Love the 777, dont want to see them go!!
Honestly I would rather see the A330 go over the 777 but I understand the reasoning
I was worried about the 777 failure rate lately The Atlanta to Johannedburg is my favorite route I hope the a350 will do the same job
That's PW's fault.
What about 777x for longer range ?
Major airlines have been retiring "odd" fleet types lately. Part of the reason so many fleet types exist at legacy airlines is mergers. Now that those planes are aging, fleets can be simplified in a more economically prudent manner. It's no accident that Southwest Airlines is probably the most consistently profitable airline over the last 40 years, and much of that profitability is due to the flexibility a single fleet type offers. Obviously, major network carriers aren't as singularly focused regarding their business models as Southwest, but they can simplify their fleets to split the difference between flexibility and having the right aircraft for each mission.
They should bring them back
I also think Delta got a better deal in terms of engine maintenance, since both the A330-900neo and the A350XWB-900 can be serviced by the same engine repair company--either Rolls-Royce themselves or a certified engine maintenance company. Also, the A300-900neo has a range of 7,200 nautical miles, more than enough for most long-range routes Delta flies from their main hubs in the USA and around the world.
DL has a contract where they are the sole North American service facility for those motors. They will be done in house as well as other airline motors.
When you build airplanes and pay no taxes like airbus does, the sky's the limit....unlike Boeing which had to pay all the taxes.
Deltas rag tag fleet worked with booming air travel up to 2019. They had pricing power with a real perceived difference in customer service. Take away demand and old inefficient planes requiring more maintenance doesn’t work anymore.
The 777F is based on the -200LR model. Now there is a conversion available, I'd say it was likely the ex-Delta -200LR fleet will be snapped up.
They are Converting 777-300ERs Not 200LRs
@@sheereenaali8448 Yes, but FedEx has a history of waiting until the right airframes come available to ass to their fleets bought new. Certifying the -200 as a freighter is guaranteed to happen.
Sheereena Ali the 777-200LR and the original 777F are the same airframe and wings. The 777-300F conversion isn’t out yet
@@G-546 Thats What Im Saying, It is a Purpose-Built Freighter Based off the 777-200LR.
I flew on N864DA to Japan in 2019. Didn't catch the tail of the one on my return trip. It was a 20 year old plane, didn't feel it inside. I will be going back in a month on an ANA 777-300ER. Hoping its a livery jet. Doubt it.
I never got to ride one. It’s the only one of the Boeing’s 7xx series I never flew on.
From an economic perspective the transition to Airbus aircraft makes sense after acquiring Northwest Airline and it's fleet of Airbus aircraft. Newer aircraft equals lower operating costa and greater profit. Makes sense from an economic perspective.
Not completely. You forgot financing costs. Newer aircraft are usually financed. The older aircraft were bought and paid for. It took them lower Load Factors to make a profit. Plus with Delta's in house maintenance (Tech Ops) they could control costs better. The exception here was the 777 engine maintenance.
I think it was a great move for Delta. I flight to South Africa for business regularly and the 777 Bussiness Class was showing its age and other airline partners were just providing better services/options. Now Delta needs to remove the B-717 and Bombardier aircraft.
I was very surprised Delta retired their 777’s yet decided to keep their 767’s for a few more years.
The 777s can be sold to cargo companies for a high price which gives them cash faster.
I think Delta is doing an excellent job in managing the fleet for the future success
They are traitors to Their home country ! They received massive handouts courtesy of American taxpayers. I will never fly delta again.
@@robertfrost1683 your right especially when Delta got rid of all the Boeing aircraft and only buy Airbus aircraft thats it.
@@robertfrost1683 United Airlines also has 50 Airbus A321 XLR on order!
@@robertfrost1683 so they should by american planes just for the sake of it?? Thats exactly the problem
@@ant2312 He probably doesn’t know the A220’s will be built in the Airbus plant in the US, the engines are P&W and US content for systems etc exceeds 50% and so US jobs would still be supported if that’s what his concern is
The 200 ER is definitely old. The 200LR is more efficient, I think the RSM wasn’t exactly desirable. That would be my guess, especially since passenger traffic has dropped right off.
Prior to this video I had no idea that the Airbus A350 XWB is a knock-off of the Boeing 777 and that Boeing is planning in a few years a new version called the B-77X that is more fuel efficient. Apparently, I am guessing, big pass-through turbine engines are more efficient than smaller ones (hence two not four such engines on the wing).
Used to fly the Delta 777 3-6 times a year to Dubai and back to Atlanta. LOVE that plane and am sorry to see it go. I do like Airbus but have never been a fan of the 330. Seemed a little junky to me..
It makes a lot of sense for right now. It's a shame but airlines need to cut reduce fleet size and older less efficient aircraft, especially large wide bodies, have become more of a burden than an asset in the world's current situation.
DJ what's your opinion on why Delta overlooked the 777X?
Same reason why Delta never had the bigger 777-300ER, unlike American and United
I flew the 777 for Delta and part of the answer I believe came from the incident at LAX when fuel had to be dumped on school children. There was a reason for that. The plane does not have a lot of excess power on one engine at higher weights even when the engines are new. Recently we have seen problems occurring with these older large diameter engines on the 777. This plane requires relief from the long standing FAA max airspeed below 10,000' of 250 knots because it can't fly that slow at heavy weights and maintain a safe speed above stall speed. It is a good time to retire this aircraft for a lot of reasons.
I think in there fleet they just narrowing down to more airbus fleet for commonality. A less diverse fleet mean easy maintenance and traing of the pilots.
As a person who ONLY buys American cars, I’m disappointed that Delta decided to to to Europe for its aircraft fleet.
If it’s not Boeing! I’m not going!
A220 US content exceeds 50% and will be built in US at Airbus’ Mobile Plant in Alabama supporting US jobs. Your statement is like my parents being disappointed I got a VW Polo because it’s not British (I live in UK ) which is BS
As a person who ONLY buys American cars, you're throwing your money in the bottomless pit that is your gas tank. As a Dutchie, I just shake my head and think you're being silly.
@@Tiger313NL Well, it’s MY money, and I can spend it as I like. I just happen to think real American cars are better. You have your opinions, and I have mine. Peace.
@@Tiger313NL Just remember Dutchie, we saved your bacon in WWII.
A350 is the most beautiful aircraft today!
really wish that delta would've invested in the 777-300er
Yea
I think it's a sensible and mostly good decision. As much of a great aircraft it was, there are definitely newer and more efficient aircraft on the market that would appeal more. Same thing with 747, enthusiasts loved it but airlines retired them with the pandemic. I think the pandemic is good for freshening up fleets.
The A321XLR is going to eat up much of the 787 and a350 market. First single isle planes replaced trijets and quadjets on transcon routes. Next single isle jets will take over the medium haul market.
For example look at the way the 757 has been used recently
The question is, how many flights does a new plane (say the A350) have to make before the savings in fuel cost make up for the cost of buying the new plane in the first place?
Probably never. But, then will the Suez Canal ever be freed?
They were operating them to now marginal markets. Easier to transfer paying passengers to SkyTeam hubs in Paris, Amsterdam, Shanghai or Seoul
The 777s were based in Tokyo for a long time and had smaller bases in LAX and Atlanta. After Delta moved their Asian hub to Seoul and than the pandemic combined they didn’t need them.
Delta has one of, if not the oldest fleet of the American big 3. They retired “old” 777 in favor of maintaining older 767s. Fully respect the engine and maintenance costs, but I never think of Delta as modernizing their fleet, they still fly the 717s! During the 2007 crash, Delta claimed to be such an American company that they support the USA so much they should get a bail out. 14 years later they appear to not intend to buy an American built plane again. I’m sad Boeing looks to no longer be part of Deltas long haul fleet. Not to mention, Deltas narrow bodies will become all Airbus as well. I love 321, but I also like diversity.
Their 737-900ER are quite new and will probably stay with them for at least 10 more years
I can see this sense but I do believe it may hurt them in the long run unless to they plan on ordering the 777x
The retirement is smart. They have/had the most complicated, oldest airline fleet in the USA by a large margin. They started by dumping the older MD-88/MD-90, moved on to eliminate the 717s from Airtran/Southwest they bought, dump the oldest 767s, and now the full 777 fleet. Next to go will be the 757 if they can figure out a way to get that range from that size aircraft from a more efficient replacement. They have left Boeing behind for the most part so I am betting on another Airbus plane to take out the 757 in the next year or so.
I think they should have saved 1 variant like the 777 200er and retire the lr.
I'm sure they would keep them in good shape for the next 10 years... The retiring looks good in excel and accountants' books :/
I wish they would order the 777-8x
Here’s why Delta airlines retired the 777 fleet. The pandemic. Delta had two types of 777 aircraft: the 777-200ER and the 777-200LR. The ER plane flew pretty basic routes from the US to Europe and Asia, the LR however only flew four routes all over 6,500 miles. (LAX-SYD, ATL-PVG, ATL-JNB, and JFK-BOM) which makes the 777-200LR hard to replace with either the A330-200/300 or even the A350-900. In addition, keep in mind delta had to take in 10 extra A350-900 from Latam as part of their joint venture which put delta in a position where it had more planes ordered than it wanted. So going back to the the four ultra long haul routes the 777-200LR flies and which airplane can take over those routes? Well not the A350-900 as is but the A350-900ULR can, and not only that, but, there’s no structural difference between the ULR and the non ULR version of the A350 (such as extra fuel tanks), it’s all just a matter of paperwork being filled out which allows the plane to be operated with its existing fuel tanks at full capacity by re-certifying the plane to a higher maximum take off weight. So going back to the pandemic, at a time when demand for travel is at an all time low, and plane orders are being cancelled or deferred, Boeing and airbus were very keen in minimizing the damage this causes to their orders, and are opened to negotiations which gave delta the upper hand and pretty much offered airbus to not cancel or deferred any orders during 2020 in exchange for recertifying a sub fleet of A350s (those from latam) for free! To be a perfect fit for the routes formerly operated by the 777-200LR, not only that but also retire those older 777 once and for all.
It was a business deal more than anything.
The A350 can and will be covering 3 of those routes when the pandemic is over. Delta said this in May last year. As for The 4th they are planning to fly to Johannesburg then fly to Cape Town for refuelling then back to Atlanta
The only route that the A350-900 had problems with was the Johannesburg route. This is an “hot and high” airport where neither the 777-200LR or the A350-900 can takeoff at max MTOW. It has nothing to do with the length/range of the flight route.
Delta takes a stopover in Cape Town, similar range as the Johannesburg route but the airport is at sea level and is not so hot and therefore no problem for the A350-900.
The big difference between the A350-900 and the 777-200LR is that Delta operates the A350 much more up to its max capacity, and is therefore much more economical to operate.
The 777-200LR planes had good resale value as they could be converted into freighters. The 777-200ER planes were about 20 years old. And they only owned 18 777s which is bad economies of scale when they own over 50 767s, 116 757s, 50 a330s, and soon to be 30+ a350s. The a330s and a350s can also share pilots.
At least the Concordes found their way to museums. And only one crashed.
If it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going!
...with the retirement of the 737-700 and the A220 being seen as a replacement for the 717, it appears Delta may be heading towards an all Airbus fleet. They still have a number of 737-800s but those could be replaced with 321 Neos in a move to upgrade to newer technology and fleet commonality as they are only used for North American, Caribbean and Central American services
Exactly and shouldn't be given any more bailouts
@@747heavyboeing3 ..actually given that the major 4 airlines in the States used their windfall savings from the 2017 tax breaks for stock buybacks like other corporations did, none of them should receive bailouts. .During the pandemic the industry received 64$ billion in federal bailouts only a small portion of which were actual loans that need repayment.
Also keep in mind the A-220, and A-320 are (as well as likely 320 NEOs) also being built in the States at the Mobile AL facility.
Boeing was once a great company, I actually hoped to work for them over 4 decades ago (before they nearly "turned the lights out" in Seattle). Back then, they trusted their engineers and took gambles that paid off which gave us iconic aircraft like the 707 and 747. It was after he McDD merger is where slide began when the accountants took over from the engineers. The 737 NG should have been the end of the line for the type, and there should have been a clean sheet successor for the 757 which could have included a short body version to replace the 737. The 787 while a beautiful aircraft has experienced serious delivery delays due to a number of issues including technical and QA issues at the South Carolina plant. Delta had a standing order for 787s (from the Northwest acquisition) but cancelled them due to slippage of delivery dates that would not have seen the first one received into the fleet until early last year, they opts for the A-350 as it filled that same market, performance, and efficiency niche, with the first ones entering service in fall of 2017 more that two years earlier.
The company also moving its administrative headquarters out of the region where it's main production facilities are was a big mistake as it put management out of close touch with it's engineers and assemblers.
They took them away from me. How could they!?