Delta Air Lines is expected to announce Tuesday it has purchased 100 737-900ER aircraft to replace is aging 757 fleet, reports Bloomberg News and Air Insight.
According to Air Insight, the carrier will take delivery of all 100 by the end of 2018. The order is a significant win for Boeing, which at one point was believed to not even have planned to bid for the Delta’s business after not being able to meet near-term delivery commitments.
The move blocks a further growth in Airbus’ North American market share following the purchase of 260 Airbus A320 and A320neo family aircraft by American Airlines on July 20. That order also included 200 737 family aircraft, including the 100 airframe tentative launch order for the re-engined 737-7, -8 and -9 family.
Delta, currently a split narrowbody operator, flies the 737-700 and -800 along side the A319 and A320s the airline inherited through its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines, the first North American operator of the type.
The Atlanta-based carrier said it planned to acquire a total of 200 new narrowbody aircraft, leaving 50% of the massive fleet renewal order undecided for the smaller end of its mainline fleet, pitting Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier’s CSeries against one another.
However, Airbus gained significant ground inside another Boeing stronghold – the Japanese market – with Qantas purchasing 110 A320 and A320neo family aircraft for its low-cost Jetstar to be based in Japan.
UPDATE 12:46 PM ET: CONFIRMED – Delta will order 100 737-900ER aircraft, the largest single order for the type. Further, industry sources confirm that a selection of a smaller narrowbody that pitted the CSeries against the Embraer E-195 has been delayed, as the airline does not see the same level of urgency to replace its 757s starting in 2013. The airline’s aircraft evaluations excluded consideration of the re-engined narrowbodies from Airbus and Boeing. FULL STORY
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