Delta Air Lines today took delivery of their first Airbus A330-900neo. It doing so becoming the third operator of the type and the first operator in North America operating an Airbus A330neo family aircraft.
Delta and Airbus teams at Toulouse with the first Delta Airbus A330-900neo – Image, Delta/Airbus.
The Airbus A330-900neo is being delivered from Airbus Toulouse to Atlanta, where Delta Technical Operations will take over to continue the work to bring the aircraft into operation within the Delta fleet.
The plane was delivered fuelled with synthetic jet fuel, compared to the normal aviation fuel used.
The plane will be fitted with a three-class cabin, featuring
- 29 Delta One suites (Business Class)
- 28 Delta Premium Select (Premium Economy)
- 56 Delta Comfort+ and 168Main Cabin (Economy Class)
It will feature a variant of the Airspace by Airbus cabin and with large overhead bins, at seat in-flight entertainment system, Wi-Fi-based IFE and Gogo 2Ku connectivity.
Initial deployment
Once the A330-900neo enters service, its first base will be Seattle, where they will be used to connect Seattle to Asia, with the following routes confirmed
- Seattle – Shanghai starting 1st July
- Seattle – Seoul-Incheon starting 1st August
- Seattle – Tokyo-Narita effective 31st August
Fleet adjustments
For Delta, it’s a first step with the A330-900neo – but an important one. With the airline committing to purchasing 35 frames, it will allow older aircraft to be retired – specifically, the Boeing 767-300ER fleet as they approach the end of their operable life.
Combined with commonalities with the A330-200/300 family the airlines run already, the new fleet should integrate well.
Delta has a total of 35 purchase commitments for the A330-900neo as older 767-300ERs retire in the years ahead.
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For coach, are the seats normal or slimline?