Delta to cut 787 plans, add 777 orders

derg

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BUSINESS DECEMBER 1, 2008, 12:00 A.M. ET Delta to Seek Changes in Boeing Orders

Carrier Will Likely Cut Northwest's 787 Plans, Expand Purchase of Long-Haul 777s

By PAULO PRADA and J. LYNN LUNSFORD
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Delta Air Lines Inc., as it integrates its fleet with that of recently acquired Northwest Airlines Corp., plans to seek significant changes to aircraft orders that both carriers had placed individually with Boeing Co., according to people familiar with Delta's plans.

Most notably, the company is likely to scale back a Northwest order for Boeing's new, but delayed, 787 Dreamliner, and ask the manufacturer to expand a Delta order for the 777-200LR, a long-range aircraft that carries at least 50 more passengers and would better enable the combined carrier to continue pursuing Delta's strategy to shift a greater percentage of ...
 
The 787 really seems to be having massive problems getting going. A friend of mine used to work for them at Everett and he talked to an engineer who still is up there and they said the thing was practically taped together for that rollout ceremony on 7-8-07. Ever since then, every single thing that has been put out about it has been negative.

I wonder if they'd also consider scrapping some ERs and getting some A-330s to replace them. They are better for cargo.
 
I'd imagine Delta taking a few 777-300ERs as well...

I'm not sure you will see a Delta 787 for the next 5 years at least.
Right now the 787 center wingbox is 6000 lbs overweight...

Do the math, that roughly 30 pax and with that all of the promised economies are gone.

Then there's the systems integration issue, how many planes do you know that have electric bleeds? I'm not saying it won't work. I'm saying it will take time untill that system is mature and robust enough to survive airline use...

The A380 was designed using the same software (Dassault's Catia) and using a similarly decentralized method of production. It was 5 years late entering service. The thing is the A380 is just big, but very conventional. The 787 will probably be that late as well entering regular scheduled service sometime in 2012. That gives Boeing 2-3 years to sort out all of these issues

Don't get me wrong, in time the 787 will be a great airplane, I have no doubt.

Cheers
George
 
Does Delta have the appropriate number of flight crew members available to staff the new equipment deliveries?
 
I keep hearing from some delta pilots, that they plan on hiring in 09. I cant imagine that being the case with the merger and the capacity cuts are the airlines are going thru, but thats what i keep hearing.
 
I keep hearing from some delta pilots, that they plan on hiring in 09. I cant imagine that being the case with the merger and the capacity cuts are the airlines are going thru, but thats what i keep hearing.

I heard that, too. But it looks like they'll be cutting capacity in 09 at both divisions, so I'm not gonna hold my breath. I think we're still stuck here.
 
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