Delta Air Lines Order 37 More A321s To Take Total Order Book To 82

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL) disclosed that it struck a deal with Airbus to acquire 37 additional A321s as part of its efforts to renew its narrow-body fleet. The company said that the fuel-efficient A321s would replace older-generation jets, including the MD-88.According to the company, the agreement came on the heels of an announcement that Delta would become the launch customer for Bombardier's C-Series small narrow-body aircraft in the United States. The airline firm said that the additional Airbus A321s would boost its A321 fleet to 82 and was in line with the its previously announced domestic fleet plan. Delta said that it was focused on reshaping its narrow-body fleet with customer-focused aircraft that offer lower operating costs while offering better fuel efficiency. The 37 aircraft would be delivered concurrently with existing A321 orders through 2019.Delta's incoming CEO, Ed Bastian, commented, "The Airbus A320 family of aircraft continues to be a cost-efficient, reliable and customer-pleasing mainstay of our narrowbody fleet. The order for the A321s is an opportunistic fleet move that enables us to produce strong returns and cost-effectively accelerate the retirement of Delta's 116 MD-88s in a capital efficient manner."Airbus COO – Customers, John Leahy, reacted by saying that "Delta is an industry leader in many ways, not the least of which is contributing to the trend toward larger, more fuel-efficient aircraft for their single-aisle fleet. The A320 Family continues to be the backbone of every airline in the world that is paying attention to what their passengers want and their investors need. In 2015, nearly 40 percent of our A320 Family deliveries were A321s, up some 10 percent from the previous year. Our customers, like Delta, know where to find the best comfort, economy and reliability."Shares of the company traded 1.88% down on Thursday.