Delta Air Lines will pull the iconic Boeing 747 from its Atlanta-Tokyo route as it rejiggers its fleet and flight schedule.
The move comes as the Atlanta-based carrier retires four of its 16 747 jumbo jets. Delta inherited the 747s through its 2009 merger with Northwest Airlines.
Atlanta-Tokyo is currently the only route out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport that Delta operates with a 747. Delta will replace the 747 on the route with the smaller, more fuel-efficient Boeing 777 effective Sept. 29.
The shift is a result of the airline’s decision to downscale its growth in Europe and move some of its jets including 777s from Europe to Asia, allowing the airline to retire some 747s used on Asia routes. The reductions will affect some Delta employees in Asia.
Delta this year is weighing an order of wide-body jets to replace some of its larger aging airplanes, such as the 747.
Pulling the 747 off the Atlanta-Tokyo route and others routes accelerates Delta’s cuts at its Tokyo Narita hub. Instead of focusing on routing Asia flights through Tokyo, Delta has been adding direct flights to China and other parts of Asia.
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