ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines is purchasing 100 Next-Generation 737-900ER (extended range) airplanes, with a list price of more than $8.5 billion, the airline said Thursday.
The Atlanta-based airline said the purchase is part of “Delta’s fleet renewal effort to replace its less efficient domestic airplanes.” The planes will be delivered between 2013 and 2018, The Associated Press reported.
“The 737-900ER is the perfect airplane to replace the older, less efficient airplanes in our single-aisle fleet,” Delta President Ed Bastian said in a news release. “Reliability and fuel efficiency are direct contributors to our financial performance. The 737-900ER will provide us a reliable airplane with the lowest fuel burn in our domestic fleet.”
Said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales & Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in a news release: “As an industry-leading airline, Delta’s investment validates the continuous improvements we are making to the Next-Generation 737’s efficiency, economics, reliability and passenger comfort.”
According to the official news release:
The Boeing 737-900ER is the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family. It also is the highest capacity, longest-range airplane in Boeing’s single-aisle fleet. New aerodynamic and structural design changes allow the airplane to carry up to 180 passengers in a typical two-class layout. The advanced-technology wing design that helps increase fuel capacity and efficiency provides substantial economic advantages over competing models.
[…]All of the airplanes will feature the new Boeing Sky Interior. This new interior is the latest in a series of enhancements for both airlines and passengers. It introduces new lighting and curving architecture that create a distinctive entry way. Passengers will enjoy a more open cabin feel and an environment simulated by light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. The new interior also features sculpted sidewalls and newly improved and expanded pivot bins.
