Delta Air Lines, one of the major airlines of the United States, plans to retire its remaining 49 Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. The largest operator of the 767-300ERs in passenger configuration scheduled a gradual retirement of jets by December 2025.
In an investor update, the airline stated that plans to retire its 767-300ERs area was a part of its fleet simplification strategy in order to save the airline’s costs. While the conversion market faces an increase in the demand for cargo aircraft, Delta’s 767-300ERs airframes could be evaluated for their suitability for conversion into the all-cargo configuration.
Earlier in September 2020, Delta evaluated a possible future cash flow from its 767-300ERs fleet and concluded that carrying costs of the aircraft would no longer be recoverable and doubted that no profit would be achieved.
„These plans are another step in Delta’s fleet simplification strategy, which is intended to streamline and modernize Delta’s fleet, enhance the customer experience, and generate cost savings,” announced the airline in September 2020.
In the second quarter of 2020, the airline retired 7 Boeing 767-300ERs. By this measure, the airline reduced its fleet to 49 Boeing 767 jets of the variant. According to Planespotters.com data, Delta operates 18 of this type of aircraft with an average age under 25 years.
Delta Air Lines has also a total of 21 Boeing 767-400, Planespotters.com data showed. The airline currently operates only 10 jets, half of its 767-400s fleet, while having 11 aircraft parked.