Airlines won’t make money on planes on the ground, let alone those parked in long-term storage.
But that’s exactly the problem Delta Air Lines is currently facing, currently facing some factories’ new Airbus A321Neo single-jets: Some of its new aircraft have been sitting in the desert and never flew past paid passengers due to regulatory delays.
But now, Delta is doing something exciting. Next summer, the planes will officially appear from storage space and head into the sky in a new limited edition configuration with top-notch seating in up to 11 rows.
The message was first communicated by the Aviation X account Xjonnyc and later confirmed by Delta, with additional details provided.
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These jets will be equipped with an unusually large first-class cabin with 44 lounge chairs, making it the highest quality domestic configuration in Delta. The jet will also feature 54 Comfort + Long Time Seats and 66 standard economy seats.
While high-end demand has been popular in recent months, most aviation observers have not expected Delta Such Big bets.
Honestly, the Delta most likely doesn’t need these two.
You will find that these A321NEOS do not actually specify the regular domestic route to fly. Instead, they intend to perform a Lie-Flat commercial-grade pod (presumably a premium recliner) in a brand new premium configuration.
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But the jets have been sitting in the desert as new business-grade seats have not yet been formally approved by aviation authorities. In the case of obtaining the certification process, Delta undoubtedly believes that it can also start flying aircraft in this temporary configuration instead of having them parked in the desert for longer.
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When these aircraft were transported from Airbus, there were no seats installed on the jets. Instead, the kitchen is only placed in accommodate Lie-flat seats have been certified. And, since Delta plans to fly this new domestic configuration only temporarily, it doesn’t want to bother moving the kitchen and rearranging the cabin. So it will put 44 first class seats in one cabin and will eventually become a recliner for 16 deltas.
Apart from configuration, Delta has not formally confirmed where it plans to fly the aircraft, nor how its aircraft should handle the service process. After all, there may not be enough oven space in the kitchen to fit meals like 44 sets. Therefore, the Delta may need to use room temperature options on this aircraft, or find out another system suitable for jets.
When flights begin next summer, there will be up to seven A321neos in this configuration. The airline has not decided how many aircraft it will transform, as it may have to wait until it has a clearer schedule for getting a true commercial-grade seat.
In a statement confirming the move, Delta said the airline “continuously explores new ways to make the most of our fleet to better serve our customers and support our business. Choosing the A321NEO aircraft is expected to begin entering service next year and with updated seat configurations designed with comfort. We look forward to getting more sharing in 2026.”
Delta currently has over 75 Airbus A321NEOs in its fleet. Currently, all of these come in a single unified configuration with 20 first-class lounge chairs, 60 comfort + length seats and 114 standard economy seats. The jet was first launched in 2022 and is the airline’s first new domestic first-class product.
Please note that the seats mounted on the A321NEOS subclass will be the same as those on the existing A321NEOS.
Stay tuned to TPG for more information on these aircraft in the coming months.
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