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Delta Air Lines weighs potential addition of Boeing Dreamliners alongside Airbus A350 fleet

Delta Air Lines weighs potential addition of Boeing Dreamliners alongside Airbus A350 fleet
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Ed Bastian, Chief Executive Officer | Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines is reportedly considering the addition of the Boeing 787-10 to its long-haul fleet, which would make it a dual operator of both Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft. Currently, Delta operates one of the largest commercial airline fleets in the world, with nearly 1,000 aircraft as of September 2025. The airline’s widebody fleet includes significant numbers of both Airbus and Boeing models, though recent years have seen a focus on Airbus for long-haul operations.

Delta remains the largest global operator of the Boeing 767, with plans to retire its 767-300ERs by 2030. The carrier also flies various Airbus widebodies: 11 A330-200s, 31 A330-300s, 37 A330-900s (with two more on order), and 38 A350-900s. Two of these A350-900s are former LATAM aircraft set for retrofitting later this year. Additionally, Delta expects delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000 in either 2026 or 2027 as part of an order for twenty such aircraft placed last year.

Industry sources suggest that Delta could announce a deal for Boeing’s 787-10 before the end of this year or early in 2026. According to aviation insider JonNYC and reports from One Mile At A Time, adding the Dreamliner would help Delta diversify its fleet and mitigate risks associated with delays from any single manufacturer.

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The Boeing 787-10 offers seating for up to 330 passengers in a two-class configuration and has a range suitable for medium to long-haul routes. This model is already used by airlines including All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, KLM, Korean Air, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines.

Historically, Delta inherited an order for Boeing’s Dreamliner after merging with Northwest Airlines but canceled it due to delivery delays at that time. Despite focusing on Airbus widebodies since then—without hampering network growth—the airline continues operating other Boeing families: seventy-seven 737-800s; one hundred sixty-three 737-900ERs; eighty-six total 757s (including eleven used primarily for charter); thirty-nine additional 767-300ERs; and twenty-one larger-capacity 767-400ERs.

Should Delta proceed with an order for the Boeing Dreamliner series now under consideration, deliveries would likely not begin until late this decade due to current backlogs at manufacturers. Such a move would support ongoing efforts at fleet modernization while maintaining operational flexibility across transatlantic and South American routes currently served by older models.

There has been no official confirmation from Delta regarding a new order for the Dreamliner as yet. However, industry observers believe that competitive pricing and favorable terms will be key factors if such an agreement materializes.

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