From: hrose@rocza.kei.com (Helen Trillian Rose)
Date: 20 Mar 1997 20:23:58 GMT
Organization: Kapor Enterprises, Inc.
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SDT> == Stephen D Todd <stephen.toddd@sympatico.ca>
SDT> Boeing will be the exclusive supplier of new aircraft for Delta
SDT> through the 20-year life of this fleet acquisition plan, subject to
SDT> specific conditions.
I'd love to see what the conditions are! I suspect there is no "clause" in
the contract similar to the one AA had (i.e. no labour deal, no planes).
SDT> Boeing Aircraft Summary
SDT> Order Summary
SDT> B737 B757 B767-300/ER B767-400 B777-200 Total
SDT> Firm
SDT> Aircraft 70 5 10 21 0 106
SDT> (1998- (1998- (1998- (2000-
SDT> 2006) 1999) 1999) 2001)
I didn't expect any more 757 orders but nonetheless I am pleased. :) The
767-300/767-400 mix is about what I'd expect (to replace the Tristars in a
mix of longer haul/higher passenger count).
Personally, I'm bummed DL didn't take firm orders of the 777.
The 737 order *is* a surprise to me! I had no idea DL would dump their 727
fleet (which is what they have stated the 737s will be replacing). I
suspect that it's to be expected - the 727s aren't noise friendly.
SDT> Options 60 20 10 24 10 124
Nothing really surprising here. With 10 firm options on the 777, they
reserve the right to dump their MD-11s (which they have 14 of, according
to their web page).
SDT> The plan anticipates:
SDT> -- Completing the retirement of the L-1011 wide-body fleet and replacing
SDT> them with B767-300ERs and B767-400s.
SDT> -- Initiating retirement of the B727 fleet and beginning to replace them
SDT> with B737-600s, 700s, or 800s.
SDT> -- Simplifying the fleet by removing non-standard B737-300 aircraft
SDT> and the MD-90 aircraft.
This one was somewhat of a surprise. The MD-90 has been a real bitch for
DL ("Minimum Delay 90 minutes"). A WSJ article I read said that they would
love to get out of the contract for the rest of them, yet the above seems
to imply they will dump *all* of their MD90s. I guess with so few of them,
they'd much rather have none than 10-12.
SDT> No word on engine types as of yet.
Heh. As s.a.a moderator Karl Swartz will testify, DL has changed its mind
many times in the past on engine choices - especially on the 767 (they
took -200s with GE, some -300s with GE, and later -300s with P&W!).
I'll go out on a limb and say their 757 and 767-300 will keep the Pratt,
and the 767-400 will get the Pratt.
On the 737 there's no choice, so no surprise. :) If/when DL decided to
take 777s, that's when the real decision would come into play.
SDT> -- Strengthen Delta's leading transatlantic position at (Helen's
SDT> favourite!) JFK Airport in New York and across the North Atlantic.
blech. :)
SDT> -- Build a global network with Delta flying where profitable and
SDT> possible or, when that's not possible, with alliance and code-share
SDT> partners.
Ron "Code Share" Allen strikes again!
SDT> PS: I'm going to miss the L-1011's.
Ditto. But I will welcome the 767-400. The L1011s middle seat was an ouch!
Not so on the 767-400 :)
--Helen
