When Will Delta Air Lines Retire Its Boeing 717s? (2024)

In summer 2023, Delta Air Lines hit the headlines when one of its Boeing 717s touched down in Charlotte without its nose landing gear deployed. While there were no injuries, this was not the first incident involving a Delta 717 in 2023, with another example having diverted due to a fuel leak in March. These occurrences have brought the 717 into the spotlight. What does Delta Air Lines' 717 fleet look like, and what plans does the carrier have for the type's retirement?

Delta Air Lines' Boeing 717 fleet

To understand the matter at hand, let us first examine the number of Boeing 717 aircraft that Delta Air Lines currently has at its disposal. According to data from ch-aviation, the Atlanta-based carrier's fleet includes 90 717-200s, of which 76 are currently active. This makes the Skyteam member airline the world's largest operator of the 717 (QantasLink and Hawaiian Airlines are the only other two commercial airlines to currently fly the type).

These aircraft are among Delta Air Lines' oldest, with the jets clocking in at around 23 years old on average, significantly older than the fleet-wide average of 16 years old. The carrier's Boeing 717s are also among its most well-used jets, with a Simple Flying article previously noting that one ranked seventh at Delta in terms of flight cycles.

Photo:Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

While Delta Air Lines has a considerable number of Boeing 717s at its disposal, not all of them are in use. Indeed, with only 76 currently in active service, could this suggest that retirement plans are already afoot? What does the airline say?

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Withdrawal may be fairly imminent

Given the size of Delta Air Lines' Boeing 717 fleet, you would be forgiven for thinking that the carrier has a long working relationship with the rear-engined twinjet. However, this is not the case in reality, as the airline only announced its plans to take on the type in 2012. The carrier's plan in this regard was to replace smaller regional jets, as well as its aging McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 aircraft.

As it stands, Delta Air Lines' working relationship with the Boeing 717 looks set to span for just over a decade. In September 2020, amid some of the most challenging months of the coronavirus pandemic, the carrier announced that it would retire its 717-200 aircraft (along with its twin-aisle 767-300ER jets) by December 2025, citing a lack of recoverable carrying value compared to future cash flows.

Photo:Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

However, with that date fast approaching, the world of commercial aviation is in a much more economically healthy state, which could render this decision ripe for a rethink. On the other hand, the recent incidents involving the carrier's Boeing 717s might be seen as a reason to expedite their withdrawal. Either way, Simple Flying has reached out to Delta Air Lines for clarification.

Where do the Boeing 717s fly?

Assuming that Delta Air Lines sticks to its December 2025 retirement plans for the Boeing 717, this gives avgeeks just over one year to squeeze in one last trip on its rare rear-engined twinjets. The aircraft are almost exclusively used on domestic services, although they have recently operated a small number of international flights to the likes of Montreal (YUL).

Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

The active 717s are based out of the following three Delta Air Lines hubs - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP).

Data from Flightradar24 for randomly selected active Boeing 717s shows that the aircraft have recently operated routes including:

• Atlanta (ATL) - Houston (HOU)
• Atlanta (ATL) - Melbourne (MLB)
• Atlanta (ATL) - Tulsa (TUL)
• Minneapolis (MSP) - Newark (EWR)
• Minneapolis (MSP) - Appleton (ATW)
• Minneapolis (MSP) - Grand Rapids (GRR)

Boeing 717 replacements

When it comes to looking at a replacement aircraft for its Boeing 717s, Delta Air Lines has already started to welcome a significant number of Airbus A220s into its fleet (a total of 61 across all variants, with a further 74 A220-300s still to be delivered).

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

In Delta Air Lines' two-class configuration, the Boeing 717 is able to carry up to a total of 110 passengers. Its Airbus A220-100s can carry up to 109 passengers, while the larger A220-300 accommodates up to 130 passengers. Being similar in size and capacity, the A220 is a logical replacement for the 717. As a modern and lighter aircraft, the A220 is also more fuel-efficient and cheaper to operate than the 717.