Delta acquired nine A350s from LATAM after they filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2020. These planes were not retrofitted with Delta's latest cabin configurations but retained LATAM's layout, lacking some premium features such as direct aisle access business-class seats and a Premium Select section.
The deployment of this widebody aircraft to San Diego was prompted by a large corporate event - Chick-fil-A's annual conference held from February 15 to 20. A spokesperson for Delta confirmed that both regular services and charter operations were utilized to meet heightened demand caused by attendees traveling from Atlanta.
San Diego International Airport is well-equipped to handle larger commercial jets despite being the busiest single-runway airport globally with its only runway measuring just over nine thousand feet long. An airport representative noted that both Airbus A350 models and Boeing Dreamliners have been operating there regularly under carriers like Lufthansa, British Airways, Japan Airlines, and soon KLM starting May this year.
While SAN hosts various international services daily across different airlines including low-cost giant Southwest Airlines which dominates market share; among major U.S carriers American ranks ahead while United follows closely behind alongside Alaska Airlines offering numerous routes albeit less extensively than their budget-friendly counterpart.
Accordingly Department of Transportation Statistics place Delta as third- largest airline serving SAN accounting approximately twelve percent traffic volume trailing slightly behind United’s thirteen percent whereas Southwest leads significantly capturing thirty-three percent share respectively.
This unexpected visit marked another chapter showcasing flexibility within operations adapting towards meeting specific travel needs tied into significant events such as Chick-Fil-A NEXT conference reinforcing commitment delivering comfortable experiences through evolving service offerings despite certain interior configuration controversies remaining part ongoing refurbishment plans aimed standardizing long-haul fleet ultimately enhancing overall passenger satisfaction moving forward.
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