Delta Air Lines Adds 34 More A321neo to Orderbook

‍ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines (DL) has announced that it has exercised 34 options for Airbus A321neo jets, bringing its backlog for the type up to 98.

The carrier announced the move on Friday, adding that the first frames from this deal are set to arrive in 2029.

Delta’s vice president of fleet, Kristen Bojko, said: “The A321neo has proven to be an exceptional aircraft for Delta, delivering industry-leading efficiency while offering the premium experience our customers value. By exercising these options, we’re continuing to invest in a fleet that improves our cost structure, supports our sustainability goals, and gives us powerful flexibility to serve our customers well into the next decade.”

With 91 jets delivered (as of February 27), and now 98 firm orders, the US legacy carrier will take delivery of a total of 189 A321neo, while it retains options for 36 more.

Three years on

Delta took its first A321neo new from Airbus in 2022 with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines. It is the only variant of the A320neo family currently in its fleet plan; however, its Airbus narrowbody fleet currently consists of 229 A319, A320, and A321ceo jets.

Today’s deal marks the third major order announced by Delta this year alone.

In January, the airline signed for 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, a brand-new type for the carrier, as well as 16 more Airbus A330-900s and 15 A350-900s, all of which are scheduled to debut in 2029.

Delta’s mainline backlog now consists of nearly 350 aircraft, in addition to the nearly 1,000 it currently has in the fleet.