Embraer 190s, More Boeing 737-900ERs Coming to Delta

Mainline fleet additions to enhance customer experience, operational flexibility

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Dec 16, 2015, 04:45 ET

ATLANTA, Dec. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will add up to 20 Embraer 190 and 20 new Boeing 737-900ER jets acquired through a new agreement with The Boeing Co.

The agreement is part of the airline's continued strategy to improve its efficiency by adding additional 737-900ERs and upgauging its mainline fleet with the nearly 100-seat, twin-engine E190 jets while reducing the use of small regional aircraft.

The order announced today offered Delta more compelling economics over a previously cancelled order that also included Boeing-held E190s.

"Delta continues to look for opportunities to deploy larger aircraft, which bring customer experience enhancements and improved economics, across its fleet," said Greg May, Delta's Senior Vice President – Supply Chain Management. "This aircraft order is another example of Delta's unique fleet strategy to deploy a mix of new and used aircraft, maintain low capital costs, and leverage significant capacity flexibility to produce superior returns for our shareholders."

Expected to begin flying in early 2017, Embraer's unique cabin design in the E190 includes two-by-two seating throughout the Main Cabin, one-by-two in First Class, and large overhead bins and oversized windows.

The additional Boeing 737-900ERs will bring the total in Delta's fleet to 120 by 2019. The aircraft features large overhead bins and audio/video seatback entertainment with 20 seats in First Class, 21 seats in Delta Comfort+ and 139 seats in the Main Cabin.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 170 million customers each year. Delta was named to FORTUNE magazine's top 50 World's Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fourth time in five years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for four consecutive years, a first for any airline. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 327 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.