Summary
With a fleet of over 970 aircraft and a network of some 305 destinations, Delta Air Lines is one of the biggest and most successful carriers in our skies today.
The airline actually had humble beginnings, flying as a crop dusting operation out of Macon, GA and later Monroe, LA providing a service tackling the boll weevil which was destroying cotton crops.
Seeing opportunities to serve air mail and passenger routes, Delta’s inspirational founders C E Woolman led the company through massive transformation.
Along the way it relocated to Atlanta Municipal Airport, which today is Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport – the world’s busiest airport, and Delta’s main hub – and merged with or acquired numerous other airlines along the way.
Among these were Chicago & Southern, Northeast Airlines, Western Airlines and Northwest Airlines. This helped Delta to grow its fleet and route network.
Delta Fleet Through the Years
A Delta Douglas DC-7 with Crown Service logo on the tail.
Delta’s fleet over they years has comprised many important and groundbreaking airliner types.
The airline was always a strong customer of Douglas Aircraft Company, utilising its DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, DC-8, DC-9 and DC-10 types (becoming the launch customer for a number of them), as well as later McDonnell Douglas products like the MD-11, MD-88 and MD-90.
A Delta DC-9. Photo (c) Dave MacKenzie
A Delta MD-88
Other famous types in Delta’s fleet include the Lockheed L1011 TriStar, Convair 440 and 880, Boeing 717, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767 and 777.
Delta Today
Today Delta’s main hub is in Atlanta, with many of its aircraft passing through on a daily basis.
The airline also has hubs in Boston, Detroit Wayne, Los Angeles International, Minneapolis St Paul, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Salt Lake City and Seattle/Tacoma.
It also has focus hubs at Amsterdam Schiphol, Austin Bergstrom, Cincinnati, Raleigh/Durham and Tokyo Narita airports.
Its fleet of over 970 aircraft comprises the following at the time of writing:
45x Airbus A220-100
23x Airbus A220-300 (+77 on order)
57x Airbus A319-100
61x Airbus A320-200
127x Airbus A321-200
50x Airbus A321neo (+105 on order)
11x Airbus A330-200
31x Airbus A330-300
27x Airbus A330-900 (+12 on order)
28x Airbus A350-900 (+16 on order)
88x Boeing 717-200
77x Boeing 737-800
163x Boeing 737-900ER
110x Boeing 757-200
16x Boeing 757-300
44x Boeing 767-300ER
21x Boeing 767-400ER
Also on order:
20x Airbus A350-1000
100x Boeing 737 MAX 10
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-900ER
Delta is the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 737-900, 757-200 and 767-300ER.
Delta is currently one of only three airlines still flying (and the largest operator of) the Boeing 717 on scheduled services. These are set to be retired by the end of the decade, but still serve many destinations across Delta’s domestic network.
Delta Connection
A Delta Connection CRJ900
To provide regional connectivity to Delta’s mainline services, the Delta Connection feeder operation comprises three contract carriers – Endeavour Air, Republic Airlines and SkyWest Airlines who operate their aircraft in Delta colours and on Delta flight numbers.
Endeavour Air is wholly owned by Delta Air Lines.
Their fleets comprises:
29x Bombardier CRJ700
160x Bombardier CRJ900
7x Embraer 170
130x Embraer 175
Delta Flight Museum
A museum in Atlanta preserves Delta’s history and collections belonging to the airline and the many other carriers that have merged with it over the years.
Occupying some of the original Atlanta Municipal Airport buildings, this is a great place for enthusiasts to visit.
Among its collection are a number of historic Delta aircraft, including a Douglas DC-3, DC-7 and DC-9, a Boeing 757-200, the prototype 747-400 (acquired with the Northwest Airlines merger), and the “Spirit of Delta” 767-200, which was purchased by contributions from Delta’s staff during difficult times.
You can also visit cockpit sections of the Convair 880 and Lockheed TriStar prototypes.
Delta Air Lines – The New Book
If you’re interested in diving deeper and learning more about Delta Air Lines, a new book by Matt Falcus covers its entire history and is packed full of pictures through the ages, including the airline’s fleet through the years.
It starts with an introduction to the early days of crop dusting, with some incredibly historic photographs of early Delta. And it finishes with the current fleet and special liveries we see today.
It also looks at the histories of the airlines that merged into Delta, like Chicago & Southern, Northeast, Western and Northwest Airlines.
Find out more and order your copy here
1 comment
The Picture of what is printed of a MD-88 is actually an MD-90.