Delta Orders 37 Airbus A321s

April 29, 2016

Delta Air Lines has ordered 37 current-generation A321 aircraft from Airbus worth USD$4.25 billion at list prices.

The new planes, to be delivered by 2019, will augment A321s that Delta already has on order and boost the carrier's fleet of the type to 82, the airline said.

The move will help Delta maintain its growth plans while retiring 116 old MD-88 aircraft, which seat 149. The A321s can seat 185.

"The order for the A321s is an opportunistic fleet move that enables us to produce strong returns and cost-effectively accelerate the retirement of Delta’s 116 MD-88s in a capital efficient manner," Delta's incoming chief executive Ed Bastian said.

The announcement comes a day after Delta ordered 75 CS100s from Bombardier, boosting the Canadian plane maker's stature in the airline industry as it faces a long road back to profitability.

(Reuters)