Aircraft
Airbus Snags 100-aircraft A321neo Order from Delta
First delivery scheduled for early 2020
Delta's order for 100 A321neos added to a string of sales successes for Airbus. (Image: Airbus)
Delta's order for 100 A321neos added to a string of sales successes for Airbus. (Image: Airbus)

Airbus won a hotly contested order from Delta Air Lines covering 100 A321neos powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofans on Thursday, dealing the Boeing 737 Max 10 program a punishing blow and fueling conjecture over the residual effects of the U.S. manufacturer’s decision to pursue an anti-dumping case against rival airframe maker Bombardier. Schedules call for entry into service in the Airbus Cabin Flex configuration in the first quarter of 2020 and for deliveries to continue into 2023. Delta has chosen a three-class, 197-seat cabin layout and plans to use the new jets to replace its aging MD-90s, Boeing 757s and Airbus 320s. As if to emphasize commitment to U.S. jobs, Airbus said it would build most of the 100 A321neos at its plant in Mobile, Alabama.