Delta’s New Plane Discount
Airbus
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is getting a smattering of new planes.
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The company announced Wednesday it’s buying 40 new aircraft from European manufacturer Airbus, marking only the second time in Delta’s history it’s gone with Airbus. The last time was nearly 20 years ago. 
(Delta operates a sizeable Airbus fleet, inherited in previous mergers.)
So the news of 40 new Airbus planes is big —and a big blow to rival manufacturer Boeing.
The 30 narrow-body A321 and 10 wide-body A330 jets aren’t the latest or fanciest models on the market.
And that’s just fine says spokesman Anthony Black.
“For Delta, it really comes down to looking for aircraft that are economically efficient and what we consider to be proven technology,” says Black.
In other words, Delta likely got a heavy discount off the $5.6-billion sticker price.
Black says fuel efficiency and maintenance costs over the plane’s lifespan also factored into the choice.
Delivery begins in 2015 and will run through 2017, and it’s likely at least some of the aircraft will come from Airbus’s Mobile, Ala. facility now under construction.
Meanwhile Delta plans to buy 19 of Boeing’s new 787 “Dreamliner” aircraft, although not until 2020.
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