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Delta Air Lines prepares final flight for high-capacity Airbus A350 configuration

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Delta Air Lines prepares final flight for high-capacity Airbus A350 configuration
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Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-900 | Official Website

Delta Air Lines is preparing to retire its highest-capacity Airbus A350-900 configuration, which features 339 seats. This layout, originating from aircraft previously operated by LATAM, will see its final scheduled revenue flight on October 25, 2025. According to Aeroroutes and Delta's schedule submission to Cirium Diio, the last flight using this configuration is expected to be DL73, departing Amsterdam at 10:00 and arriving in Atlanta at 13:34 local time.

The decision to phase out the 339-seat version follows Delta’s ongoing efforts to standardize its fleet with more premium offerings. The airline currently operates three configurations of the A350-900: a 275-seat high-premium layout, a standard 306-seat version, and the soon-to-be-retired 339-seater. Sixteen aircraft now have the new lower-capacity, higher-premium configuration; this number will rise as additional aircraft are reconfigured and as new deliveries arrive.

Delta acquired nine ex-LATAM A350s after LATAM filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. carrier saw an opportunity to purchase these relatively young widebody jets following its investment in LATAM in 2019 and subsequent retirement of Boeing 777s from its fleet. These ex-LATAM aircraft entered Delta service starting June 2022.

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Of these nine frames, six have already been retrofitted with Delta’s latest cabin interiors designed to improve passenger experience and enhance competitiveness on long-haul routes. The remaining three—N568DZ, N569DZ, and N570DZ—are slated for future updates; recent tracking shows two are still flying while one may be undergoing maintenance or reconfiguration.

The shift toward a lower-capacity but higher-premium product is partly driven by operational needs on longer routes such as Atlanta-Johannesburg. Aircraft configured with fewer seats burn less fuel and offer greater range due to lighter weight—important factors for long-haul operations—and also allow Delta to generate higher yields per seat through increased premium offerings.

Atlanta remains central to these operations as both Delta’s busiest hub and one of the world’s largest airports by several measures.

Delta Air Lines continues adapting its widebody fleet strategy in response to changing market demands and operational requirements.

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