Will Delta Air Lines Ever Be A Dual Airbus A350 & Boeing 787 Operator?

One of America’s ‘Big Three’ airlines has been flirting with the idea of adding the Boeing 787 to its growing long-haul fleet. Such a move could see the majority of Airbus’ widebody fleet at Delta Air Lines be broken with the introduction of one of the most successful widebody aircraft of all time.

The 787 is one of the most popular widebody aircraft of this decade, and airlines around the world are utilizing these aircraft to rejuvenate their aging fleets, as well as to open up new routes, given the Dreamliner’s capabilities and range. Such examples of this were the first non-stop services between Australia and Europe, with Qantas taking on Perth to London, Paris, and Rome.

A Look At The Current Widebody Fleet

As of September 2025, using data from ch-aviation, Delta has a fleet of almost 1,000 aircraft, the third-largest commercial airline fleet in the world. Historically, Delta initially operated a majority of all Boeing aircraft; however, following its 2008 merger with Northwest, it saw some Airbus models debut for the Atlanta-based carrier. Today, Delta is the largest operator of the Airbus A220, A330, Boeing 717, 757, and 767.

Delta remains the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 767, with 39 767-300ER and 21 767-400ER. The -300ER is expected to be retired by the end of the decade. These aircraft can seat between 211 and 238 passengers across three classes, and are primarily used for domestic transcontinental services, or select medium and long-haul destinations across Europe or North/South America.

Already, Delta operates 11 Airbus A330-200 aircraft, capable of seating up to 223 passengers across a three-class configuration. This is followed by 31 A330-300 (seating 282 passengers), 37 Airbus A330-900, with another two on order (configured for 281 passengers), and 38 Airbus A350-900, with three varying configurations to seat between 275 and 339 passengers. It’s worth noting that two of these A350-900 are ex South American carrier, LATAM aircraft, and are to be retrofitted from 339 seats to 275 in the last quarter of this year.

In 2026 / 2027, Delta is set to welcome the first of 20 Airbus A350-1000 airplanes, having ordered these back in January last year. These planes will support the carrier’s wider sustainability goals, while also being able to provide an elevated onboard customer experience and support the airline’s capacity and expansion on long-haul operations.

Does The 787 Fit At Delta?

As claimed by One Mile At A Time and JonNYC, an aviation insider, Delta could be looking to announce a deal to acquire the Boeing 787-10 in a deal expected before the end of this year, or the beginning of 2026. Such a move would see the airline continue its rejuvenation of its long-haul fleet, as it gradually retires its aging 767s. In a Q4, 2023, earnings call, Delta confirmed it will retire its 767-300ER by 2030 and will use its firm order for 20 A350-1000 to gradually replace these aircraft.

Aviation inside, JonNYC, believes that Delta could order the 787-10 as part of its wider fleet renewal strategy, reminding readers that it would be unrealistic for the SkyTeam carrier to remain a sole 100% Airbus widebody airline. While the order remains speculative, there are a number of reasons as to why it would be a good move for Delta. The 787-10 is perfect for medium to long-haul, high-volume routes. This would cement its place easily into trans-Atlantic routes from one of Delta’s main hubs, like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, New York JFK Airport, or Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, to destinations such as Paris, London, or Madrid. Details of the 787-10 capabilities below as per Boeing:

While Delta technically does not need another type of ultra-long-range aircraft, given the A350-900 and A350-1000 are more than capable, having the 787-10 on hand would help the airline divest its reliance on European plane maker Airbus, ensuring a safe strategy should there be delays from Airbus on the delivery of expected aircraft.

The Success Of The 787-10

While it’s publicly known that the 787-10 has not achieved the same commercial success when compared to the 787-8 and 787-10, this plane remains competitive in its size category. Albeit with a shorter range than the other Dreamliner variants, there are more than 100 of these planes in active service, with airlines such as All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Etihad, EVA Air, KLM, Korean Air, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, United, and Vietnam Airlines all using these as a lifeline in their widebody operations.

As a comparison, Delta has utilized its current A350-900 aircraft to enhance its global reach, operating several new and existing routes with the Airbus widebody aircraft, like Los Angeles to Shanghai (July), Los Angeles to Hong Kong (from June next year), Salt Lake City International Airport to Seoul (June), and Detroit to Seoul.

An additional 271 of the 787-10 remain on order, for airlines including Air Canada, British Airways, Etihad, and Emirates (this list is not exhaustive).

Why Has Delta Not Yet Ordered The 787?

For years, Delta has remained a loyal Airbus widebody customer, even though the airline once operated many of Boeing’s most iconic aircraft. Even once operating the 777 and 747, you could have expected that Delta would have continued this legacy. However, following its merger with Northwest Airlines, the airline had actually inherited a 787 order, but canceled these after delivery delays.

At the time, the move was decided to ensure the airline’s fleet aligned with its present strategy, and it would meet the widebody needs. Regardless of this decision years ago, the direction to operate primarily all Airbus widebody aircraft has not hampered the airline’s growth, with the airline operating several new and exciting routes, such as its first foray to New Zealand, linking Los Angeles to Auckland seasonally since 2023, or its latest news to connect the USA to Malta and Sardinia (operated with the 767) next summer.

Should Delta confirm an order for the Boeing 787, it remains unlikely that they would welcome these aircraft to their fleet for at least 3-4 years, given the backlog of orders with other airlines. Deliveries would likely not be expected until closer to the end of the decade.

Other Boeing Aircraft Flying For Delta

Currently, Delta operates four different families of Boeing aircraft: the 717, 737, 757, and 767. Its 80 717-200 are former AirTran Airways aircraft that have been operated under a long-term lease agreement with Southwest Airlines, operating a number of the airline’s regional routes. These airplanes are configured to carry 110 passengers.

The 737, of which Delta operates 77 737-800, 163 737-900ER, includes former Lion Air aircraft, and are primarily used for domestic and short-haul international flights to destinations across Mexico and the Caribbean. These aircraft are laid out with three configurations, seating between 173 and 180 passengers across multiple classes.

The 86 757s at DL make it the world’s largest operator. Delta is already retiring older aircraft, and refitting others with new interiors. Eleven of its 757-200 are used for charter operations. The carrier also has 16 757-300, 39 767-300ER, and 21 767-400ER.

Will Delta Order The 787-10?

While no order has been officially announced, we can only look into our crystal ball to understand if these rumors will become a reality. Insider reports have suggested that Boeing could be in line for an order from Delta by the end of the year or early in 2026, but any decision would make a significant move in the airline’s fleet strategy.

For many years, Delta has primarily focused on acquiring Airbus widebodies; however, the size and economics that come with the 787-10 would make the plane a strong candidate for popular transatlantic and South American routes that are currently offered with the airline’s 767s.

The main reasons why Delta would look to add the Dreamliner to its fleet are to continue its prioritization of fleet modernization, fleet diversification, and industry constraints, while also finding an appropriate balance in the market. The 787-10 would offer an improvement in capacity and range for medium to long-haul routes. Delta is known for driving a hard bargain, and this deal would likely hang in the balance of competitive pricing and terms from Boeing to make Delta’s Dreamliner move a reality.