Delta Ditches Airbus for Boeing: 787-10 Orders Shake Up Fleet Strategy

Delta Air Lines has ended its nearly decade-long streak as an Airbus-only widebody customer by ordering 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, with options on up to 30 more. The deal is a significant shift in Delta's fleet strategy and marks the airline's first direct purchase of the 787 family.

The order will see Delta become the last of the 'big three' US legacy carriers to bring the Boeing 787 into its fleet, following years of American Airlines and United Airlines already flying the type. The 787-10 is the largest member of the Dreamliner family, seating up to 336 passengers, and it brings roughly 25% better fuel-efficient technology than older jets.

The new Dreamliners will be used mainly on high-demand transatlantic and South American routes, essentially bridging Delta's smaller A330neos and larger A350. Deliveries won't begin until 2031, so the impact of this deal is still years off.