Delta Air Lines will add the state-of-the-art B-737 MAX aircraft to its fleet, as the airline continues to refresh its fleet.
The carrier is ordering the largest model in the MAX family, the 737/10, which will begin delivery in 2025. It will be powered by the next-generation LEAP-1B engines manufactured by CFM International, a company jointly owned by GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.
The announcement was made at the "2022 Farnborough International Airshow" in the U.K., and included a signing ceremony with Delta, Boeing and CFM executives.
The model aligns with four key pillars of Delta’s long-term fleet strategy: Size, Simplification, Scale and Sustainability.
The order is within Delta’s 2022-24 Capex guidance provided at Capital Markets Day in December 2021.
The airplane will be deployed in core hubs including New York, Boston, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle and Los Angeles.
Final assembly of the plane will take place at Boeing’s facility in Renton, Wash., near Delta’s international hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The aircraft will complement Delta’s high-performance A-321neo fleet as the airline updates and refreshes its narrowbody fleet for the years ahead. With the order, Delta’s B-737 fleet will grow to more than 300 total aircraft and will be Delta’s second-largest fleet family behind the A-320.
The model is currently awaiting final certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is expected in 2023. In the event of a delay, the agreement has adequate protection in place, including allowing Delta to shift to another model of the MAX family if necessary.
