Delta Air Lines has announced a new partnership with aerospace giant Airbus as part of its 100th-anniversary celebrations marking 100 years since it was incorporated. At the CES 2025 technology conference being held in Las Vegas between January 7 and 10, 2025, the airline stated its newly launched ‘UpNext’ program will see the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer and its largest Airbus operator collaborate to develop the next generation of advanced aviation technologies to revolutionize the future of flying.
According to the publication Inflight, the UpNext program will involve three key areas of innovation. These will include developing a network of innovation labs that will see Delta and Airbus collaborate on early-stage, fast-track technology solutions to “advance the future of aviation through Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab,” and also several new Airbus-run innovation labs worldwide, including a dedicated Airbus UpNext facility. Additionally, the two companies will explore wing performance, fuel efficiency, superconductivity, advanced aircraft assistance, and other technologies that may be needed for future aircraft.
“It’s estimated that 80 percent or more of the world’s population has never experienced air travel,” said Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines in his keynote address at CES 2025. “That’s why, as we continue to expand as an international airline, increasing the world’s access to travel isn’t just an opportunity – it’s our responsibility. We live in a divided world, which is why what we do at Delta is so important. Our job isn’t to transport people. It’s to bring them together.”
Another element of the partnership will see the companies collaborating on the future of flight operations. For example, Delta has stated an intention to test a new flying technique pioneered by Airbus called ‘fello’fly’. The technique, which takes inspiration from migrating geese, harnesses the power of collaboration by pairing flights. Using this operations technique, the first aircraft creates an uplift that drives fuel efficiency for the following aircraft (known as ‘wake energy retrieval’) which can reduce overall fuel consumption.
The last element of the UpNext program will involve examining the scaling up of the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by the airline industry. Airbus announced its commitment to join the already established Minnesota SAF Hub, a first-of-its-kind SAF coalition that brings together stakeholders with a shared commitment to aggressively decarbonize the airline industry.
“At Airbus, we pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world,” said Julie Kitcher, Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications. “With Delta, we are redefining the future of aviation. By leveraging our combined expertise, we are accelerating groundbreaking innovations—from advancing cutting-edge flight techniques to scaling up the production of renewable fuels (SAF). Together, we are addressing today’s challenges and shaping a more connected, lower carbon future for generations of travelers to come.”
The UpNext announcement came as Delta Air Lines used the CES 2025 event to launch its centenary year of celebrations, having flown its first flight as Huff Daland Crop Dusters Inc. in Macon, Georgia in 1925. As part of the celebrations, Delta transformed the vast SPHERE arena located in downtown Las Vegas into a 360-degree, world designed to represent the airline’s many destinations.
The specially created animation then featured five planes representing the evolution of aviation over Delta’s 100-year history. Inside the Sphere, event attendees were able to explore an interactive, pre-show exhibit designed to celebrate Delta’s 100-year history. Delta Air Lines currently operates 492 Airbus-produced commercial aircraft with a further 202 on order.