With Delta Air Lines’ acquisition of Northwest Airlines last year came an order Northwest had placed for 18 of Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner jets.
The plane is touted as the Next Big Thing in airliners: a twin-engine, long-haul jet that uses 20 percent less fuel and boasts passenger amenities such as bigger windows and better inside air quality. The Dreamliner could be as significant to aviation as hybrid cars are to the auto industry.
But Delta has been coy about its plans for the 787 since closing the merger.
Earlier this year, it dropped the Northwest orders from tables in financial reports, saying it was “in discussions with Boeing†because of delivery schedule delays caused by production issues and a strike at Boeing last fall.
Delta’s No. 2 executive, President Ed Bastian, said last week that Delta would have 10 787s flying today if the planes had been delivered on schedule. But he stopped short of saying the orders will be rescheduled.
“We think the 787 is a great platform for the future, and we’d like to see the 787 at some point here at Delta,†Bastian said. “But we just can’t speculate on any outcome.â€
full dtory here
The plane is touted as the Next Big Thing in airliners: a twin-engine, long-haul jet that uses 20 percent less fuel and boasts passenger amenities such as bigger windows and better inside air quality. The Dreamliner could be as significant to aviation as hybrid cars are to the auto industry.
But Delta has been coy about its plans for the 787 since closing the merger.
Earlier this year, it dropped the Northwest orders from tables in financial reports, saying it was “in discussions with Boeing†because of delivery schedule delays caused by production issues and a strike at Boeing last fall.
Delta’s No. 2 executive, President Ed Bastian, said last week that Delta would have 10 787s flying today if the planes had been delivered on schedule. But he stopped short of saying the orders will be rescheduled.
“We think the 787 is a great platform for the future, and we’d like to see the 787 at some point here at Delta,†Bastian said. “But we just can’t speculate on any outcome.â€
full dtory here
