In news that could be filed as “that took long enough to do”, Delta finally has cancelled its order for 18 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Northwest Airlines Boeing 787 – Rendering (c) The Boeing Company
The order came from Northwest Airlines in 2005, which Delta took over in 2008 when Delta purchased Northwest.
The order consisted of 18 Boeing 787s, with options for 50 more.
The order since then has been pushed back multiple times, and in 2010 – pushed the order back to deliver in 2020s, with Delta and Boeing finally agreeing to pull the order from the book.
Delta has turned elsewhere – relying on Boeing for its domestic fleet and a reliance on Airbus for its A330 and A350 for its long haul fleet (along with existing fleets of Boeing 767s, Boeing 747s and Boeing 777-200LRs).
And as such, it seems Delta can’t find a home for these planes
Looking back, it seems Northwest Airlines had high hopes for the type. Those dreams seem to have finally come of an end.
On the plus side, in economy class, Delta will have wider seats compared to its competitors who have chosen the 787 in the tight 3-3-3 formation or have squeezed in 3-4-3 formations in their 777s. Delta’s A330 fleet is thankfully 2-4-2 across, with an 18″ seat width.
And trust me – the extra seat with – it matters.
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That video made me sad and miss NWA more than ever. Sigh…
Doug seems resolved to the fate of NWA!