Cómo Delta Superó a Boeing al Conservar el 717

Video from the channel Metales en vuelo about Boeing 717, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 8:58. Language: Spanish. Video type: Documentary.

The video explains how Delta Air Lines turned the Boeing 717, a model other airlines considered written off, into a profitable part of its short-haul fleet.

When Boeing closed the Long Beach production line, the 717 became a type with no future production. Southwest inherited it by buying AirTran, and since it runs a single-type fleet, it looked for a way to get rid of it. On July 9, 2012, Delta, Southwest, and Boeing Capital signed an agreement under which Delta took on low-cost leases for all 88 of AirTran's Boeing 717s. Southwest paid for cabin refurbishment and repainting before delivery.

According to the video, a new Embraer E175 or Airbus A220 cost three to four times as much per month as a used 717. On short routes, that difference in capital cost offset the higher fuel burn of its Rolls-Royce BR715 engines. Delta's mechanics already knew the Douglas heritage from the MD-80 and MD-90, and many AirTran pilots moved to Delta with their type rating already in hand. The aircraft operated at demanding airports such as LaGuardia and Washington National. It had a 2-3 cabin, turnarounds of about 30 minutes, and reliability close to 99%. Delta ordered Airbus A220s to gradually replace it starting in 2026.