Delta Air Lines is buying an additional 15 Airbus A321 planes to replace smaller, less-efficient aircraft.
The Atlanta-based airline said the new 192-seat planes will improve the flying experience for customers. The aircraft purchase is part of a broader effort Delta is making to reinvest in its business, after recording billions of dollars in profits over the past two years.
The 15 planes come on top of 30 A321s that Delta ordered last year. The 2013 order marked Delta’s first purchase from Airbus in more than 20 years. Many of Delta’s planes are Boeing aircraft, though it inherited some Airbus planes from its purchase of Northwest Airlines in 2008.
The first A321 will begin flying for Delta in early 2016, with in-flight wi-fi, live satellite TV and a power outlet at every seat. The 15 additional planes will be delivered starting in 2018.
Delta did not disclose the value of the deal, but the list price for an A321 is $110.1 million. Airlines typically negotiate rates that are much lower than the list price.
Although Delta is putting $2.3 billion toward capital expenditures this year, the company says it is also taking a “disciplined, capital efficient approach” to renewing the planes in its fleet, according to a written statement from Delta CEO Richard Anderson.
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