Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) has announced it has reached an agreement with Boeing (BOE, Washington National) for the cancellation of a legacy order for eighteen B787-8s.
Northwest Airlines (Minneapolis St. Paul International), which merged with Delta in 2008, placed the order in 2005. At the time, it included options and purchase rights for fifty additional B787s. Had it been fulfilled, it would have seen Northwest/Delta become the type's US launch operator.
Delta said in a statement that on completion of the merger in 2010, it deferred the order to a 2020 and beyond delivery timeline. As such, the specific terms of the cancellation agreement were not disclosed.
“This business decision is consistent with Delta’s fleet strategy to prudently address our widebody aircraft needs," Greg May, Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management and Fleet, said.
