Delta Air Lines canceled inherited Boeing Dreamliner order amid shift toward Airbus widebody fleet

By December 2016, Delta announced it would cancel the inherited Dreamliner order. Details of the cancellation were not made public. Greg May, Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management and Fleet at Delta Air Lines said: "Delta is one of the world’s largest operators of Boeing aircraft and our valued partnership with Boeing will remain strong as we safely and comfortably serve our customers across the world every day."

At the time of merger, Northwest operated a diverse fleet including models from Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Airbus, and Bombardier. Most widebody jets were Airbus A330s rather than Boeings. After inheriting this mixed fleet, Delta began focusing on Airbus for its widebody needs—ordering additional A330-300s soon after merger completion—and later expanding orders to include A330-900s and A350-900s.

This shift toward Airbus was intended to simplify operations by reducing maintenance complexity and training costs associated with managing multiple types of widebody aircraft. During recent years—including throughout pandemic-related restructuring—Delta retired older models such as its remaining Boeing 777s.

Currently, among nearly 1,000 aircraft in Delta’s fleet, only a small number are Boeing widebodies (767-300ERs and 767-400ERs), which are expected to remain until around 2030. No new orders exist for Boeing widebodies; instead, Delta has significant outstanding orders for Airbus models such as A220-300s (66), A321neos (74), A330-900neos (2), A350-900s (6), and A350-1000s (20). There is also an order for up to 100 Boeing 737 MAX jets scheduled for delivery starting late 2027.

In January 2024, Delta announced an order for twenty A350-1000 aircraft—with options for twenty more—set to begin deliveries in 2026. CEO Ed Bastian commented: "The A350-1000 will be the largest, most capable aircraft in Delta’s fleet and is an important step forward for our international expansion. The aircraft complements our fleet and offers an elevated customer experience, with more premium seats and best-in-class amenities, as well as expanded cargo capabilities.”

Despite this commitment to Airbus widebodies moving forward, there have been rumors that Delta may consider ordering Boeing Dreamliners—specifically the larger-capacity but shorter-range 787-10 model—to replace retiring jets by decade's end. Reports suggest a decision could come by late 2025 or early 2026; however Simple Flying contacted Delta about these rumors but did not receive a response.

For now these reports remain unconfirmed speculation; without existing maintenance or pilot training infrastructure dedicated to Dreamliners at Delta Air Lines’ scale such a move would represent significant investment if pursued.