Delta Air Lines has postponed entry into service of its new Airbus A220-100s because FAA approvals were held up by the 35-day shutdown of US government agencies.
Atlanta-based Delta had planned to begin A220 service on Jan. 31 from its hub at New York LaGuardia Airport to Boston Logan International and Dallas-Fort Worth International airports. That date has been extended to Feb. 7 as a result of the government shutdown that temporarily ended Jan. 25 with an agreement between US President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats.
“Delta has made the decision to postpone the service debut of the Airbus A220 due to delays in certification processes that are required” by the FAA, the carrier said in a statement. “No customer impact is expected as a result of this equipment change, and no flights will be canceled because of A220 certification. The flights will be operated by other aircraft.”
Delta plans to acquire 40 of the 116-seat A220-100s and has taken delivery of four to date. It plans to buy 50 130-seat A220-300s, with first delivery from the new Airbus manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama, in 2020. The carrier expects to take delivery of all 90 A220s by the end of 2023.
Reporting fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 results on Jan. 15, Delta said it was losing about $25 million a month because of reduced government travel during the shutdown.
Source ATW
