Delta has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, Airbus’ largest narrow-body jet. The plane is one of 26 A321neos that Delta expects to receive this year. The carrier plans to put the aircraft into service in May.
Delta is configuring its A321neos with 194 seats — 20 in first class and 174 in economy (including 42 Comfort Plus seats with extra legroom). The aircraft will debut Delta’s newest domestic first-class seat, which offers triple the stowage volume of its other domestic first-class products, Delta said.
The new seats also feature fixed side panels around the headrest for privacy, a tray table that has been enlarged by 25 per cent and larger seatback screens. All seats on the plane have memory-foam cushions, Delta said. All economy seats have seatback screens and spacious overhead bins, the airline said.
“The delivery of our first A321neo helps to usher in the next era of premium domestic service at Delta,” said Mahendra Nair, Delta’s senior vice president of fleet and tech ops supply chain. “Not only do these aircraft offer the best customer experience in the industry, but these fuel-efficient airplanes further demonstrate our commitment to a more sustainable future.”
Delta said the aircraft will be 20 per cent more fuel-efficient than its current fleet of older-generation A321s. The delivery came more than a year after Delta had originally expected to receive its first A321neo. In total, the carrier has 155 of the aircraft on order. Delta currently has 127 A321s in its fleet.
Delta’s U.S. competitors also have the A321neo in their fleet plans. American took delivery of its 50th A321neo last week. United has 70 A321neos on order.
