Delta Air Lines has quietly positioned itself for the next decade of longhaul growth, and unlike some headline-grabbing route announcements, this one starts with the hardware.
Delta’s Widebody Buying Spree: Where Will All Those New A350s And 787s Fly?
Delta has been on a widebody shopping spree. Between new Airbus A350-1000s, additional A350-900s, more A330-900neos, and an eye-catching order for Boeing 787-10s, the Atlanta-based carrier has lined up a serious pipeline of longhaul aircraft that will reshape its fleet through the early 2030s.
Before we speculate on where Delta might expand, let’s clearly lay out what it has actually ordered and when those aircraft begin arriving.
What Delta Has Ordered And When It Arrives
Delta really has been busy lately. Let’s review the widebody aircraft on order:
1. Airbus A350-1000
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- 20 aircraft on firm order
- Deliveries begin in early 2027
This is Delta’s new flagship. The A350-1000 is larger than Delta’s current A350-900 fleet and will almost certainly feature a premium-heavy configuration. Think of this as Delta’s next-generation longhaul backbone.
2. Additional Airbus A350-900
- 15 newly ordered
- Deliveries begin in 2029
These will complement the existing A350 fleet and provide either replacement capacity for aging 767s or incremental growth, likely a mix of both.
3. Additional Airbus A330-900neo
- 16 newly ordered
- Deliveries begin in 2029
The A330-900 has proven to be a very efficient and flexible aircraft for Delta. It is not as large as the A350-1000, which makes it ideal for longhaul markets that require premium cabins but cannot support maximum gauge year-round.
4. Boeing 787-10
- 30 aircraft ordered, with options for 30 more
- Deliveries begin in 2031
The 787-10 is a significant development. Delta deliberately avoided the Dreamliner for years. Now it will operate the largest variant. The -10 is optimized for high-density longhaul flying, especially transatlantic and South American routes.
In total, Delta has lined up dozens of new widebodies over the next decade. But here is the key point: not all of this is pure growth. A meaningful portion replaces aging Boeing 767-300ERs and older A330 variants. Still, even accounting for replacement, Delta is clearly building toward a larger and more premium-heavy longhaul fleet.
Now the more interesting question: where will Delta actually use them?
Will Aircraft Alone Create New Markets?
It is tempting to assume that new aircraft automatically mean new destinations. That is not how this works.
If markets like Brussels (BRU) or Geneva (GVA) cannot consistently support Delta service today, an A350-1000 does not magically fix that. Aircraft efficiency helps at the margin. A larger premium cabin can improve yield. But if underlying demand is insufficient, new metal will not create it.
Airlines expand successfully when three things align:
- Strong local premium demand
- Joint venture or partner feed
- Sustainable year-round economics
Without those, growth becomes ego-driven instead of strategy-driven…
That said, Delta has stated that it will expand to more longhaul markets. Delta CEO Ed Bastian explained:
“As we grow our international footprint and prepare our fleet to serve expanded long-haul markets, these aircraft will enhance our capabilities and elevate our premium offerings. We value our long-standing partnership with Airbus, and with these widebody aircraft we will see long-term growth and cost benefits for years to come.”
The beauty of the current plan is that Delta can accelerate (or decelerate) there retirement of its order 767 and A330 aircraft based on market demand in the years ahead; there’s great flexibility there to grow…or not grow.
Europe: Deeper, Not Necessarily Wider
The Atlantic remains Delta’s strongest international region. Expect these aircraft to first reinforce core markets rather than dramatically expand into speculative secondary cities.
New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Detroit to major European capitals will likely see more premium-heavy gauge and frequency refinement before Delta adds a flurry of new dots on the map.
Delta’s strategy in Europe is disciplined. It would rather focus on key markets with high-yield traffic than chase prestige or exotic routes that underperform.
Asia: Northwest Nostalgia Or A Real Comeback?
There is a romantic narrative that Delta might rebuild Asia to something resembling its Northwest Orient days.
That is possible, but complicated. Asia today is not the Asia of Northwest Tokyo Narita hub.
New A350-1000s could certainly deepen Delta’s presence in core Asian markets. But rebuilding an expansive Asia network requires more than aircraft. It requires political stability, strong local partnerships, and durable premium demand.
Delta will grow in Asia cautiously, not nostalgically. It has already done a great job with its Korean Air partnership and it recognizes that it doesn’t have to actually serve a destination in order to make money from it.
Its upcoming launch of Los Angeles – Hong Kong, which United runs 2x daily and Cathay Pacific runs 3x daily, will be an important test. Delta tried, for example, to run its own Los Angeles – London service and it flopped…Delta quickly gave up and leans on Virgin Atlantic for this transatlantic service.
If Hong Kong succeeds, I wonder if we might see Singapore and Beijing next? United now offers service from Los Angeles to Beijing but tried Singapore and it did not work.
I don’t see Delta operating a regional operation like United is currently doing in Hong Kong (HKG), but I think we will see more direct transpacific routes especially if there is some return to normality after the Trump administration.
South America: The Quiet Opportunity
If there is a region that may benefit meaningfully from the 787-10 order, it is South America.
These markets often support premium cabins but do not require ultra-long-haul range. The 787-10 is well-suited to that mission profile. Expect Delta to refine and potentially expand in high-demand South American cities where premium leisure and business demand is resilient.
I don’t anticipate many new dots on route map, but there will be more lines and closer cooperation with LATAM.
The Capacity Question
There is also risk.
As I mentioned above, we saw in 2024 that when airlines add too much long-haul capacity, even strong markets can become unprofitable quickly. Premium demand is robust, but it is not infinite. When multiple carriers upgauge simultaneously, yields can erode.
Delta’s staggered delivery schedule, 2027, 2029, and then 2031, acts as a hedge. It allows management to adjust growth to demand rather than flood the market all at once.
It’s the classic Delta formula that it hopes will allow it to continue to be the profit leader in the USA, even as United seeks to catch up through aggressive growth of its own.
CONCLUSION
Delta’s widebody order book is not just about bigger airplanes. It is about building a more premium, more efficient, and more flexible longhaul fleet over the next decade.
The A350-1000 will likely anchor Delta’s flagship long-haul routes beginning in 2027 if there are no more delays. The additional A350s and A330neos arriving in 2029 provide optionality, growth where warranted, replacement where necessary. The 787-10s arriving in 2031 could reshape Delta’s transatlantic and South American flying in a more meaningful way.
But aircraft alone do not create demand. If certain markets cannot support service today, a new jet does not change the fundamentals overnight.
Delta will grow, but it will do so selectively. The more interesting story is not how many planes Delta has ordered, but how disciplined it remains when it comes time to deploy them.
Where do you think Delta will expand first once, if at all, these new widebodies arrive?
image: Delta
“Delta tried, for example, to run its own Los Angeles – London service and it flopped…Delta quickly gave up and leans on Virgin Atlantic for this transpacific service.”
I believe you meant transatlantic at the end there.
UA has 84 more int’l destinations than DL.
TATL destinations 2016/2025: UA: 22/42, DL: 32/34, AA: 21/20
TPAC destinations 2016/2025: UA: 23/32, DL: 15/8, AA: 8/7
TLAT Destinations 2016/2025 : AA: 92/97, UA: 57/66 , DL: 58/52
Lie-flat Business Class Seats/Int’l Departure: UA: 45.4, AA: 35.1 , DL: 31.8
UA: 1,077 aircraft, (230 WB), Orders: 185 WB/487 NB, (15.5 average fleet age)
AA: 1,013 aircraft, (133 WB), Orders: 22 WB/278 NB, (14.1 average fleet age)
DA: 988 aircraft, (177 WB), Orders: 85 WB/237 NB, (14.9 average fleet age)
Correction: UA has 84 more worldwide destinations than DL.
The Asia routes are what are tough to figure out. I just don’t see where Delta has a good West Coast hub to sustain Asia service. By any metric, they’re fighting a losing battle in Seattle and LAX has always been a place where no carrier wins, but just loses money. They’re the smallest alliance on the west coast, by far with arguably the the worst JV partners to Asia and Oceania (where they have none)
Maybe MSP ends up with a lot in 6 years once the good times pare back a bit
Don’t worry, YKW might be along shortly to tell you why you are completely wrong in everything you said.
Idk… I feel like with new TPAC routes, Delta can take away some intl connecting demand from AS. Also, I don’t think AS will ever have an EU network as robust as Seattle; there’s no way they can support multiple daily flights to LHR, CDG, and AMS (also note the huge connecting opportunities beyond those cities with JV partners).
However, the decision to do HKG from LAX rather SEA is quite strange, Seattle has a significant east asian population and most connections could likely be routed through SEA as well…..
I would argue the comment about UA not being able to make LAX-SIN work omits the main issue – that UA had to block too many seats on the westbound flight on their 789s (previously equipped with the BE Aerospace Diamond seat). In a high-J, low-density configuration as is planned on their upcoming 789 deliveries, I would have to think that LAX-SIN is relatively high up on the list of routes to restart, and likely able to supplement the existing 2x daily SFO-SIN flown without cannibalizing demand.
Very interesting observation. We will see.
The fact that DL made $1.7 billion more than UA and multiples more than AA in 2025 provides the greatest opportunity that DL has – growing into markets where those two have strength but where DL can grow.
AA and UA”s slugfest in ORD will be a drain on both companies for years to come.
The A350-900 is the most capable and efficient aircraft in the US carrier long haul fleet and the 35K will only add to that capability, carrying at least 75 more passengers than UA can put on its 787s that can fly the same distance.
and DL will rebuild its presence in Asia – East, South and the Middle East and the capability of the 350 will be part of its formula for success along w/ a network restructuring to its US hubs.
The NRT hub didn’t make money for NW or DL on a consistent basis even though NW was the largest TPAC airline at one time; UA operated its TPAC system at breakeven for multiple years after DL announced its intention to pull down the NRT hub, UA is profitable and they have far fewer major growth opportunities.
ICN is now the largest and most efficient hub in Asia and DL and KE will put the right aircraft and add more routes in addition to new DL flights to elsewhere in Asia.
And, yes, Max desperately wants to believe DL can’t compete to Asia but the evidence shows otherwise; they get better revenue per seat mile than UA and DL’s strength compared to UA is DL’s Eastern US service to Asia.
and DL will win the LAX to Asia battle among US carriers. Anyone that can win in LAX and have a viable hub in SEA plus DL’s interior US hubs along w/ JFK will have a very commanding position. DL will have at least 3 new TPAC routes from LAX within 3 years.
Win the LAX to Asia battle? They couldn’t even win the LAX to LHR battle lol
Doesn’t UA currently fly to more destinations than DL? Almost double the destinations?
We do not know what kind of profit or loss DL had on LAX-LHR but DL chose to redeploy its aircraft someplace else and leave the market to Virgin Atlantic that has flown it since before DL and VS developed a JV.
UA doesn’t have a JV partner flying to LHR so they have no choice but to fly it themselves.
And you do realize that UA pulled one of its 2 LAX-LHR flights as soon as DL pulled out of the market, a factor that DL certainly has considered in starting LAX-HKG and LAX-ORD.
LAX is necessary as a TPAC gateway but far less so for service to Europe esp. when a JV partner.
DL is now flying LAX-MEL as well as AKL (which UA does not serve on its own metal); ICN is a given and DL execs have said that LAX-MNL and SIN are coming; UA is simply not going to compete with 225 seats against lower cost Asian airlines while the 35K will carry more passengers further than UA can do w/ 787s. 15 more business class passengers on a 787 can’t offset the dozen more premium economy and 60 more coach passengers plus cargo. The economics just don’t work for using a small widebody against someone else’s larger widebody on ULH flights esp. when that carrier is far more profitable than you.
Yes, DL will win the LAX TPAC battle
Out of LAX Delta serves 60 destinations on 155 daily flights while United serves 56 destinations on 134 daily flights.
Both airlines will be adding a few new destinations this year but United does not sever double the destinations out of LAX.
If you were talking about systemwide their entire worldwide network then yes United serves more destination thanks to the strength of their international network which can’t be match. However, it isn’t double United serves 363 destinations worldwide compared to Delta at 312 destinations worldwide on Delta metal.
United has 395 worldwide destination compared to DL with 311.
https://www.ch-aviation.com/airlines/ua
Can you please just go away? Matthew – this guy legit impacts views. Please make him stop
Sorry, but Tim is most welcome here. I realize he’s very much a Delta loyalist and also has a strong dislike for United, but I do value his observations and he and Max have been much more respectful.
It seems less about where will these new jets fly, and more about what will Delta’s fleet look like by 2030. Like, no more 767s, a330ceos, 757, 717, or CRJ; just a350, 339, 787, a321neo, a220, E2s would be nice. Tell us, oh wise sage, Mr. Dunn!
what is notable,1990, is that DL has no narrowbody transoceanic international planes in its fleet plans. Any widebody is far more capable and comfortable than the XLR.
There will be no E2s in the DL fleet and I doubt if AA or UA will take it; it is still a regional jet while the A220 is a small mainline aircraft – and there is a difference
also noteworthy that DL got rid of its 50 seat single class RJs already while AA still has some and UA just signed with SkyWest to keep 40 of the CRJs in service for another 5 years…. that is just criminal.
and the 717s will likely be phasing out or gone by 2030.
The theme across DL’s domestic and international fleets is larger and larger size and more capability while AA and UA think they can carve out niche routes w/ a 150 seat narrowbody and they cling to 50 passenger single cabin RJs. and even the CRJ550 is no match for a DL mainline narrowbody – who wants to rummage through a massive closet to get your bag?
I’m okay with narrowbody TATL as long as it includes lie-flat upfront. XLR is good for that. It could also be used for secondary airports, so, instead of having to connecting through CDG, AMS, or LHR. Likewise, it works well for South America too. If more luxury Amazon cruises pop-up out of Iquitos, would be better to fly down an a321XLR directly from, say, ATL, than relying on 767 to LIM on LA. Just sayin’ don’t knock those narrowbodies.
Good for Delta Air Lines, great for Airbus… It would seem that DL and UA are trying to oust AA from the long-haul market.
The question for me is what is going to happen to routes that currently use the 767s or 332? Assuming DL continues the strategy of using only widebodies to Europe, can they justify, say, DUB-DTW (seasonal with a 332) with another 50 seats per flight (on the smallest jet they’ll have, the 339)?
Delta is highly skilled at bludgeoning competitors – and friends, if we’re being honest – into doing what’s best for Delta. There are the rare defectors like Alaska but overall Delta will find ways to use the new aircraft.
Matthew I would surmise that a significant number of these new wide bodies will be based at secondary hubs (BOS, SEA, etc) as opposed to fortress hubs (ATL, DTW, etc). ATL, for instance, actually doesn’t have much more room for really big planes. Terminals E/F are limited as far as longer/wider fuselages go. Only a few “E” can house a 777-300/A351/B78x and multiple “F” gates cannot house anything larger than a 767. Some folks think ATL has an infinite supply of gates but that’s not true…
Gates can and are being reconfigured. DL picked up a bunch more gates concourse C at ATL as WN pulled down schedules and is reconfiguring concourse D to handle mainline aircraft – which it was not capable of doing.
E will handle fewer narrowbodies as it has done.
and DL will gain gates at JFK as Terminal One is completed.
as Christian notes, DL is a very sharp negotiator and executor and they don’t make near as much noise as their competitors – but deliver better results.
and Matthew, I am committed to accurately commenting on what is happening in the airline industry. DL simply took the leadership of the US airline industry a decade ago and is still very much in front.
and my comments about UA are to counter the incessant spin that UA’s social media fans (some of which are UA employees) make with their inaccurate statements about UA’s leadership; all UA has achieved is a size advantage but they have yet to translate that into a profit or service advantage.
DL’s new widebody orders highlight DL’s plans to target UA where it is strongest – its international network – as DL builds out its service to Asia – East and South Asia and the Middle East – as well as continue to grow in S. America and Africa. Europe is saturated and there will be selective adds by all carriers in the coming years.
DL’s widebody fleet is already and will become even more capable and efficient than anything that any other US airline has or will have unless UA decides to finally act on its A350 order which adds far more cost and complexity than the benefit DL gets from adding the 787.
and thank you for ensuring your site is a welcoming place for all viewpoints.