Originally Posted by
forgot to bid
The 200 NBs plus 200 options was from the news:
Delta Air Lines Inc. plans to order 100 to 200 narrow-body jets and seek options for 200 more, a deal that may become the biggest in commercial aviation history, as it replaces some of its oldest planes.
A request for proposals went to “several” planemakers last month, and deliveries may begin as soon as 2013, Atlanta- based Delta told employees today on an internal website without identifying the companies. Airbus SAS and
Boeing Co. are the biggest commercial-jet makers.
Delta Plans to Order 200 Narrow-Body Jets, Options for 200 More - Bloomberg
But why wait 2 years to get the 739?
Caution...optimism warning, read at your own risk
I would guess that we waited two years because we didn't need them for 2 years. Our need for feed has been reduced for the last few years by all the widebodies that have been offline for upgrades. Next summer will be the first time that our full combined WB fleet has been available. So, in the meantime, we've been working on upgrading facilities (ATL F terminal, JFK Term 4, etc) and improving the feed capability (717's, etc.).
It'll be interesting to track how many of the 73's are actually replacements. If we actually get a growth WB accouncement, I'd guess that number of replacements will be pretty small. We will also need more feed for Virgin Atlantic jets if that whole deal goes through. I think next summer will be very interesting. I'm cautiously optimistic. I really think we are in a great position to leave the UAL and AA in the dust if all RA's plans come together.
of course, sailingfun chimes in while I'm typing, so this is all redundant