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Delta Air Lines is significantly expanding its use of widebody aircraft on domestic flights this summer, scheduling 12,470 round-trip services. This marks a 36% increase from last summer, driven partly by a substantial surge in Boeing 767-300ER services between New York JFK and San Francisco. Delta's share of the domestic widebody market grows as American and United decrease their operations, moving the airline from a quarter to a third of the market.
The detailed schedule shows Delta will fly twin-aisle aircraft primarily on repositioning-type routes between hubs. The Boeing 767-300ER will dominate with 68% of flights, followed by the 767-400ER (15%), A330-900 (7%), A330-300 (4%), A350-900 (4%), and A330-200 (2%). The A330-900 and 767-400ER see significant year-on-year increases of 387% and 320%, respectively, while others see declines.
Delta has outlined 13 routes with daily services, comprising 88% of its twin-aisle operations. Notably, the New York JFK to San Francisco route has increased from eight takeoffs last summer to daily flights now. "Does Delta have too many 767-300ERs, or does demand and competitiveness truly warrant such a heavy widebody operation?" the article poses, highlighting the strategic considerations involved in the airline's fleet utilization.
