https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-courting-delta-others-737-093026003.htmlSEATTLE/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines is among airlines Boeing Co has approached to buy dozens of 737 MAX jets built for clients that have since scrapped their orders or gone bust, two people familiar with the matter said.

As the 737 MAX edges closer to commercial flight after an 18-month grounding, Boeing is scrambling to find buyers for the so-called "white tails" - jets painted white, awaiting an airline livery, or whose color schemes need to be swapped.

The 737 MAX's ban following two fatal crashes had already caused some carriers to walk and the number of unsold jets has soared as the COVID-19 pandemic decimated demand for air travel and new aircraft.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Boeing has had discussions with Delta to take 40 of the 737 MAX "white tails," the people said.

Boeing and Delta declined to comment.

Of the top four U.S. airlines, Delta is the only one without the MAX. An order from the Atlanta-based carrier, whose relations with Boeing have been frayed in recent years, would be a surprise, market sources said.

Its $14.2 billion in commitments as of June 30 are primarily for Airbus jets. Battling the pandemic, Delta has parked jets and Chief Executive Ed Bastian said in July he was seeking to minimize deliveries over the next two years and did not intend to spend cash on aircraft "for some period of time."

Boeing's unsolicited offer illustrates one of the key challenges it faces once a modified MAX with safety upgrades receives approval to fly again.

These include restoring confidence in the plane, clearing a backlog of undelivered jets at a time when the industry is shrinking, and boosting production rates.

Boeing has built some 460 737 MAXs whose delivery has been frozen since the March 2019 grounding. Jefferies analysts estimate that ties up $16 billion in inventory.

Customers have scrubbed more than 400 737 MAX orders this year after delays exceeded a year, triggering a walkaway clause, and analysts say dozens of these come from the stockpile of aircraft already built and waiting to be delivered.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by Mark Potter)

 

Not sure who the "market sources" in the article are, but no one should be surprised if MAX shows up with a widget on it.

 

Like Button

 

We have orders for aircraft in every market segment except 150-160 seat jets. Given we could get dozens in a very quick time at presumably a very cheap cost, this makes sense.
We have
A220-100 (109)
A220-300 (130)
A321NEO (190)

a 160 seat airframe would fit quite nice in that picture, especially since we have young 737-90ERs on property already.

 

I rather see A320 NEOs than 737Max.

that cockpit is horrible...

 

Bargain shopper Delta is gona get the Max....at firesale pricing.

 

If I were Ed I would skip the MAX and wait for the elusive 797.... And I’d also order 300 A220-500s.

 

The scape hatch in the 220 leaks glicol, like it’s bombardier sibligs (the crj).

 

Once the de-icers learn to not spray around the door the problem goes away. Never had it happen the crj2,7,or ,9.

 

It's the "Buy One, Get 10 Free!" sale.