Delta to acquire nine MD-90s from JAL

Delta Air Lines told employees it has reached an agreement to buy nine Japan Airlines MD-90s for delivery beginning in January 2012 to replace retiring DC-9s and 50-seat regional jets.

DL President Ed Bastian said last month the carrier will retire its remaining DC-9s, numbering about 35, over the next 12-18 months (ATW Daily News, Feb. 4). In a message to employees, the airline said the MD-90s "will be refurbished and upgraded to match Delta's domestic fleet." The aircraft will not be used to add capacity, DL emphasized. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The carrier said it now has 58 MD-90s under contract with 19 flying, 15 in modification and 24 to be delivered. VP-Fleet Strategy and Transactions Nat Pieper said in the employee communication that the MD-90 "is a cost-effective aircraft that helps us more efficiently maintain our flying levels as we retire regional jets and DC-9s. We'll continue to look for opportunities to acquire used MD-90s in the future." McDonnell Douglas (subsequently Boeing) built 116 MD-90s; production ended in 2000, according to the Airline Monitor.

Regarding fleet renewal further down the road, DL confirmed in January it had issued an RFP for a future order of as many as 200 firm aircraft with deliveries beginning in 2013 to be operated on mainline domestic routes (ATW Daily News Jan. 17). JAL, meanwhile, has been removing aircraft from its fleet as part of its bankruptcy restructuring (ATW Daily News, Dec. 1, 2010). Coral Gables, Fla.-based AerSale last year acquired 19 Boeing 747-400s from JAL (ATW Daily News, Oct. 8, 2010); the Tokyo-based airline operated its final 747 flight on Tuesday.