Delta Air Lines buys 25 Airbus A321neo jets as travel biz slowly recovers

Delta Air Lines revealed on Thursday, April 22, that it placed an order for 25 Airbus A321 jets. The carrier also has an option to buy additional 25 more units later on.

Delta Air Line’s new orders of jets

With its latest purchase, it was said that Delta Air Lines just expanded its total orders for the said plane model to 125, and this could balloon to 150 if the carrier uses its option to buy additional 25 units.

“Adding these new efficient narrow-body jets to our fleet means more career opportunities for our pilots and more capacity to grow our network during the recovery, solidifying our leadership position as more customers return to fly with Delta,” Delta’s senior vice president and chief of operations, John Laughter, wrote in a memo addressed to pilots and was seen by CNBC.

Delta Air Lines is not alone in its move to buy new planes after enduring almost a year-long slump due to the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other airlines are also placing new orders to expand their fleets despite the reported collective loss of American carriers of at least $35 billion last year. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines have all purchased new Boeing 737 Max jets, while Southwest Airlines is also planning to do so.

Recovery in the travel business

The move to buy new planes is a sure sign that the travel industry is on a rebound now after flights were halted last year.

In fact, Delta Air Lines and other carriers have been receiving many bookings since last month, and this even prompted some airlines to hire more pilots and crews. They could not accommodate all the flights, so they have started hiring and training staff again.

For Delta, it is getting more domestic flights, and they are not for business but for leisure. This is understandable as prolonged confinement in homes due to the lockdowns have made people wanting to escape somewhere, even for a while, to unwind and see new scenery.

“With our customers ready to reclaim the joy of travel, this agreement positions Delta for growth while accounting for the planned retirements of older narrowbody aircraft in our fleet, addresses our carbon footprint, increases efficiency and elevates the customer experience,” Mahendra Nair, Delta Air Line’s fleet and TechOps supply chain senior vice president, said in a press release.

Finally, Delta is expecting to receive the first batch of Airbus A321neos delivery within the first half of 2022.