Delta Air Lines has quashed speculation that it intends to place a second aircraft order following its decision last month to order 100 Boeing 737-900ERs.
Previously Delta had stated it could order up to 200 aircraft, and praised the technological advances offered by the Bombardier CSeries.
But speaking on 13 September during the Deutsche Bank Aviation and Transportation Conference Delta President Ed Bastian clearly stated: "We are done talking about aircraft for the near to medium term."
Bastian acknowledged there has been a "lot of industry chatter" about a second tranche of aircraft being ordered, but "there's no second step of aircraft whether it be with Bombardier or Embraer or Boeing or Airbus. We're very comfortable with where we will be sitting for the next several years. I do want to put to rest any thought that we are in the market considering a new aircraft decision".
A major driver behind Delta's decision to cap aircraft orders at the 100 Boeing narrowbodies is keeping its capital expenditures in a $1.2-$1.4 billion band on an annual basis, explained Bastian.
He added Delta's goal is to generate operating cash flows of $3-$4 billion per year and take "that incremental two billion and pay down the balance sheet".
"We'll be talking in the future about aircraft," said Bastian. "But nothing in the next couple of years."
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
