Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) expects deliveries of Boeing (BA) 737 MAX 10 aircraft it has ordered could be pushed out to as late as 2027, Bloomberg reported Sunday, as the planemaker faces rigorous reviews from federal aviation regulators after a series of incidents.
Delta (DAL) has orders for 100 MAX 10 planes worth ~$13.5B at list prices, with options to purchase 30 more, and had expected to begin receiving the planes next year.
“We were already anticipating if it came in 2025, it would be late in the year. My guess is it will be another year or two beyond that,” CEO Ed Bastian said of the MAX 10 in the interview with Bloomberg.
Delta (DAL) is “comfortable” with protections it negotiated against possible delays in its contract to buy the MAX 10, Bastian said, noting “several issues” with the 737 MAX “that need to be addressed,” and it is in ongoing discussions with Boeing (BA).
Meanwhile, Delta (DAL) has been taking Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF) (OTCPK:EADSY) A321neo single-aisle planes, and “we’re very pleased with that aircraft,” Bastian said.
Demand for travel during spring school breaks and summer remains strong in both U.S. and international markets, with Delta (DAL) enjoying some of the strongest sales days in its history over the past 10 weeks, Bastian also said.
