summary
- Delta Air Lines operates one of the oldest fleets in the world, adding several Boeing 757s in the 1980s.
- Despite being relatively old compared to many airlines, the company’s aircraft continue to be used in major passenger operations across Delta’s domestic and international network.
- The oldest aircraft in Delta’s passenger service is the Boeing 757-200, N658DL, which is not scheduled to be retired for another four years.
Although recent deliveries of the latest next-generation aircraft and the retirement of the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and MD-90 fleets have lowered the average age of Delta’s fleet to just 15.2 years, the U.S. legacy airline continues to It operates one of the oldest fleets. In the world.
Delta’s eclectic and aging fleet, with its oldest fleet ranging from Boeing 757-200s delivered before the fall of the Berlin Wall to pre-millennium Airbus A320s, still maintains its age in mainline service. We have proven that we can continue to be profitable and continue to generate revenue. People who travel from A to B for over 30 years after giving birth.
Boeing 757-200 – N649DL / N658DL
N649DL is approaching its 35th birthday and is currently the oldest aircraft in Delta’s fleet. The single-aisle twin jet was delivered to Delta Air Lines on May 25, 1989, at an unusual time in world history as the Iron Curtain in the Eastern Bloc began to fall.
Paula Abdul’s “Forever Your Girl” is topping the charts, “Miami Vice” just finished its fifth and final season, and Delta Air Lines has purchased its 48th Boeing 757-200, the N659DL. It was received. The airline has been operating the aircraft since 1984, serving as a replacement for aging and expensive Boeing 727s.
While many of its contemporaries have been relegated to large aircraft storage facilities in the sky, N649DL has since been requisitioned as an NBA and NHL charter aircraft in a premium 72-seat configuration and continues to fly frequently throughout the year.
Unfortunately, unless you’re a professional athlete, you’re unlikely to fly this jet. The oldest 757-200 in Delta’s passenger service is his N658DL, which was delivered to Delta nearly a year after N649DL. The 33-year-old airliner remains Delta Air Lines’ workhorse today, with 97,665 total flight hours as of August 2023, which equates to more than 11 years of his time in the sky. To do. The N658DL is currently scheduled to be retired at the end of 2027 and will be phased out in favor of the Airbus A321neo mid-range aircraft.
Boeing 767-300ER – N171DN
Delivered three weeks after N658DL, Delta’s 33-year-old Boeing 767-300ER, N171DN is the oldest widebody in service. The aircraft underwent a refurbishment in 2021 as part of the 767 and Airbus A330 cabin renovations, offering 226 seats in three classes, including the airline’s luxury travel product, Delta One.
The jet occasionally enjoys transatlantic flights to Europe, but more recently the N171DN has been frequently spotted on domestic coast-to-coast flights and flights to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). I am. Delta Air Lines says the N171DN will be retired in 2025, along with the airline’s 747-300ER and Boeing 717 fleet.
It seems that the times are catching up with aircraft. This year alone, the N171DN has caused two engine-related accidents. In June, during a flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport (PRG), the plane experienced an engine surge and was forced to return to New York less than an hour after takeoff. I was forced to turn back. Then less than three months later, on his departure from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to JFK, one of his jet plane’s engines failed, and Harry in Las Vegas returned to Reed International Airport (LAS). A change of destination is now required. It was restored 3 days after maintenance.
Airbus A320-200 – N312US
Some 757s and 767s are slightly older than this jet, but with the recent retirement of the N309US, the N312US has officially earned the title of being the oldest Airbus aircraft in Delta’s fleet.
N312US was not originally part of Delta’s fleet. In fact, it was acquired by the airline as part of his 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines, and quickly became a key player within its domestic and short-haul network. Despite being briefly stored at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) from April to July 2020, the N312US and other Airbus A320-200s continued to serve as the backbone of Delta’s North American operations. However, deliveries of Airbus’ next-generation A220 and A321neo are expected to be slowly replaced by this type over the next five years.
The N312US is aging and is not expected to remain in service for very long. The jet is scheduled to be retired in December 2023, along with his other 1991 and 1992 A320 entries: his N317US, N319US, N320US, and N321US. Once retired, the 32-year-old N323US will be Delta’s oldest A320-200.
Have you ever flown on an older Delta Air Lines aircraft? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments.
source: channel airlines, aero inside, aviation safety network