Delta Air Lines today announced its plans to retire the whole of its fleet of widebody Boeing 777 aircraft by the end of this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic's calamitous impact on air travel demand. The move will work to simultaneously condense and modernize its overall fleet, as the 777's role will be assumed by newer, more cost-efficient planes.
Delta had already announced plans last month to move up the retirement of its MD-88 and MD-90 fleets to June 2020 as part of its response to the pandemic. As soon as COVID-19 began taking its toll on the airline industry, Delta reacted promptly to park aircraft and contemplate early aircraft retirements in an effort to minimize its operational costs and complexity.
Thus far, in response to reduced customer demand and to match adjusted capacity, the airline has taken more than 650 mainline and regional aircraft out of operation, at least temporarily.
"We're making strategic, cost-effective changes to our fleet to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also ensuring Delta is well-positioned for the recovery on the backside of the crisis," said Gil West, Delta's Chief Operating Officer, in a statement. "The 777 has been a reliable part of Delta's success since it joined the fleet in 1999 and, because of its unique operating characteristics, opened new non-stop, ultra-long-haul markets that only it could fly at that time."
Following the Boeing 777-200's initial entry into the Delta fleet, its numbers expanded to 18 aircraft, including ten of the long-range variety, which first appeared in 2008. At the time, it was uniquely suited for non-stop international routes, such as Atlanta to Johannesburg, Los Angeles to Sydney, and other long-haul, transoceanic flights.
The trusty 777 widebody jet has continued to serve as a workhorse for Delta's continued cargo and mail operations, as well as repatriation flights for U.S. citizens, amid the COVID-19 crisis, in place of its pre-pandemic principle role in international passenger travel.
Since late April 2020, the 777 has made dozens of deliveries of mail to U.S. military troops abroad, traveling from Los Angeles and Chicago to Frankfurt; aided COVID-19 response efforts by carrying thousands of pounds of critical supplies between the U.S. and Asia; and flown thousands of American citizens back to the U.S. from global locations, such as Manila, Mumbai, Sydney and more.
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