Why did the Delta air lines change the first Airbus A321 Airbus A321

It has now passed more than nine years Delta Airlines

First delivery Airbus A321

On the occasion of the beginning of a long and successful relationship with the type. Today, Delta runs a total of 200 Airbus A321S, which includes both A321-200 and A321Neo-at the 127 A321-200S and 73 A321NEOS, but still displays the new A321no aircraft in its fleet.

The first A321-200 arrived for the airline on March 16, 2016, and will continue to obtain a special place in the Delta fleet. However, the story of the plane structure is sweet and somewhat passed, which includes the first pilot of Robert Forgas and his death at the age of 59, less than a year after the plane was delivered.

Vorgias was in the first Airbus Factory in Hamburg, a trip that will take 15 hours and include two fuel stations. It also occupies an important location in the Delta Cagar, the first line examination of the A321, the airline will later re -register the plane to match the first letters of Forgas to his honor. Here is the story of the first A321 in Delta and why the airline changed its tail number.

Delta and A321

A321 has been an integral part of Delta’s narrow capabilities over the past few years. In fact, according to data from Ch-aivationThe plane is the second largest service in the Delta with a total of 200 aircraft, behind the widely wide Delta fleet of 240 Boeing 737 aircraft.

However, Delta was late for the A321 party, as the plane first requested in 2013 more than 15 years after entering the A321-200. By this point, Airbus also announced the A321neo, although this promoted plane will not enter the service until May 2017.

Delta has always been the Boeing and Mondonel Douglas plane operator, although its merging with the northwestern airlines in 2008 greatly changed the formation of its fleet by adding more than 100 narrow bodies in the A319-100 and A320-200. By mid-2010, the MD-88s began in the Delta and MD-90S to show her life, prompting Delta to invest in reshaping a narrow fleet.

The initial airline arrangement with Airbus 30 A321-200 plane structures, but the carrier will increase the request book over the years. Upon delivery, the planes were subject to up to 192 travelers in two categories in the cabin – 20 in the first degree, 29 in Comfort+, and 143 seats in the economy.

The first delivery A321

As we mentioned, the A321neo has already been announced but has not yet entered the service or even completing its first trip. Knowing that it will be very far from the waiting list with the former clients in the delivery order, as it has chosen the A321-200 production delta instead.

Two and a half years after its 2013 request, Delta will receive its first structure in March 2016. This plane, which was recorded at the time, will join the N301DN, to more than ten by the end of the year.

A321-200 was delivered in Delta in 2021, more than four years after the first A321neo was delivered to launch Virgin America. Delta began to deliver her A321NEO fleet in March 2022 – these planes can sit up to 194 passengers, with 20 in the first degree, 42 in Comfort+ and 132 in the economy.

Record the first A321 in Delta

N301DN, or SHIP 3001, was the first A321-200 in Delta and Captain Forgas was the first pilot to examine the A321 transmission line. Vorgias, along with his teammate at Delta Pilot Pat Haake and Airbus engineers, participated in returning the plane to the Delta base in Minneapolis via two concession stations in Iceland and Canada. according to Airline Museum Deltaand

“On March 16, 2016, the first Delta A321 (N301DN, ship 3001), in Hamburg, Germany received the next day, the flight crew collected the 3001 ship to Minypolis/Saint -Paul, Minnesota, a 15 -hour flight with fuel stopped in Recafic, Iceland, Goose Bay, Canada.”

During the return flight, the flight crew conducted various tests on the plane, including the implementation of extraordinary maneuvers to test its thresholds. Unfortunately, Vorgias died in February 2017, less than a year after the first A321 delivery in Delta. When it was delivered to Minynabolis, the N301DN score carried. In honor of Fourgia and everything he did for the airline, the Delta recovered as the N301DV (Dave Forgas).

Not the first revenue trip

Although it was the first A321-200 to be delivered to the Delta, the N301DV did not make the first A321 Delta revenue trip. This honor went to N302dn, or ship 3002, which was delivered to the airline a few weeks after the N301DV.

The A321 opening trip was held in Delta on May 3, 2016, with a trip from Atlanta to Orlando. As for N301dv, the revenue service entered two days later, on May 5.

About Captain Dev Forgas

Vorgias enjoyed a profession as a pilot for more than 30 years, as he was flying as a former commander of the National Air Air Force in addition to a commercial pilot for Eastern Airlines and northwest of airlines. As a line, Pilot First Check Pilot for A321 in Delta played Captain Forgas a pivotal role in helping the airline to integrate the new plane type into its fleet.

Brian Xia, the former general manager of the fleet administration in Delta, also mentioned in 2016,

“Buying a new plane, in which case, takes a completely new sub -group for Delta, a team of emotional and loyal experts armed with their visions, craftsmanship and drew from all over the airline to achieve this. It is a great plane with a great economy and enhance the cabin threatened to improve our experience of our customers.”

Another private delta plane

Delta has a bit of habit to change or restore aircraft for special occasions. The Delta plane should be the most famous “Delta Spirit” This was the first Boeing 767 aircraft company that its employees gathered together. With Delta passed on an approximate correction in the early eighties, its employees were able to raise more than $ 30 million to provide a new Boeing 767-200.

The plane will spend nearly 25 years in service and accumulate more than 70,000 hours before the Delta of a two -week retirement round in early 2006.

The airline chose another A321 plane structure for Sports Laver when it reached a record payment to share the $ 1.6 billion profits for its employees during 2019. On that occasion, the transport company drew a “great thanks to you” on the side of the A321 using 48 custom posters, along with the names of 90,000 Delta employees, while taking over for more than a week.

The A321 fleet continues to grow

The carrier seized the first A321neo in 2022 and now has more than 70 of the next generation narrow in its fleet. Since the application book with Airbus increased by 30 additional aircraft in 2021, Delta has a total of 155 requests for A321NEO, with delivery operations by 2027.

By the time all these planes arrived, Delta will get more than 280 A321 families in service. Delta preaches A321neo as “the most fuel-efficient plane”, and is able to provide up to 20 % fuel consumption efficiency compared to A321-200. The transportation company completed the first A321neo revenue trip in May 2022.

On the Delta A321

There are two categories cabin on board the A321 Delta in addition to the Comfort+ seats at the front of the economic cabin. The first cabin is located at the front of the plane and features 20 seats in 2-2 composition.

Then comes the Comfort+ seats from the rows from 10 to 14, providing additional legs space and customized upper storage space. Behind this, the economy cabin is placed in a 3-3 composition with 31 degree “and 18”.

The A321-200s of Delta can fit with up to 191 passengers, but initially reached the airline equipped for 192 passengers. However, Delta removed a seat from each plane so that she could expand the scope of the rear crew and make conditions more comfortable for its crew. She also told Catherine Steel, a spokesperson for Delta Ain Bulletin In 2020,

“The A321S has been delivered with 192 seats and we took a two -stage modified approach. Each of these aircraft now has 191 seats and we expanded the space of the rear kitchen so that the flight attendants can better serve our customers.”

Looking at the age of A321-200s, they will remain a decisive part of the narrow DELTA operations for many years to come. Although it is not effective like the A321neo, it still fits well with the Delta fleet, and the airline has been working completely well after it was reported about the best financial year in its 100 -year history in 2024.