Delta Air Lines continues operating decades-old Boeing

Before its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines, Delta primarily operated U.S.- made jets from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. The merger introduced new aircraft into Delta's fleet and reshaped its fleet strategy.

The oldest active aircraft in Delta's fleet is a Boeing 757-200 delivered on May 25, 1989. This plane remains in service over 35 years later due to significant investments in maintenance infrastructure without suitable replacements available.

The Boeing 757 plays a crucial role within Delta's operations, serving both domestic and international routes. Delta operates 98 Boeing 757-200 variants alongside 16 Boeing 757-300s—the highest-capacity narrowbody jets in its fleet—making it the largest operator of this type worldwide.

This versatile aircraft bridges gaps between narrowbody and widebody fleets by providing necessary range, performance, and capacity for various routes, including transcontinental services and shorter transatlantic flights from hubs like Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Western Europe.

Some configurations include lie-flat Delta One business class seats catering to premium travelers on high-demand routes between coastal hubs such as New York JFK Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL). Additionally, these planes perform well at higher-altitude airports like Denver International Airport (DEN) due to their powerful engines.

The higher-capacity Boeing 757-300 suits high-density domestic routes with strong leisure or seasonal demand from cities like Atlanta. Despite their value, these aging aircraft average over25 years old; thus requiring retrofits with new interiors enhancing seating arrangements and inflight entertainment systems.

Delta plans on retiring some older models but lacks direct replacements except potentially Airbus A321XLR versions.