Delta Air Lines operates one of the largest and most varied fleets in global commercial aviation. As of 2026 the airline flies a mix of Airbus and Boeing aircraft ranging from regional jets for short domestic hops to long-haul widebodies crossing the Pacific. Understanding Delta's fleet is useful if you are trying to predict what aircraft you will end up on, if you are choosing between Delta and a competitor for a specific route, or if you just want to understand how a major American network carrier structures its operations.
This is a current guide to every aircraft type Delta flies, what it uses them for, and where you are most likely to encounter them.
The narrowbody workhorses
Delta's narrowbody fleet handles most domestic flying and a substantial share of short-haul international routes to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Airbus A220-100 and A220-300. The A220 is a relatively new aircraft in the Delta fleet, with the first deliveries arriving in late 2018. Delta is now the largest operator of the A220 in the world. The A220-100 seats about 109 passengers in Delta's configuration, and the A220-300 seats about 130. Both versions are used primarily on medium-density domestic routes where a larger 737 would be too big and a regional jet would be too small. The A220 has become a favorite of passengers because of its wide cabin, large windows, and relatively quiet engines. If you are flying a route like New York LaGuardia to Austin or Boston to Minneapolis, there is a reasonable chance you are on an A220.
Airbus A319-100. Delta operates the A319 as a mid-sized workhorse on medium-density routes. The aircraft seats around 132 passengers and tends to appear on older routes in the network. Delta has been reducing its A319 fleet as newer A220s come in.
Airbus A320-200. The A320 is Delta's mid-sized Airbus narrowbody, seating about 157 passengers in a two-class configuration. It is used across a wide range of domestic routes and some short-haul international services.
Airbus A321-200. Delta flies the non-neo A321 in a domestic configuration that seats around 191 passengers. The aircraft is used on high-density routes like New York to Los Angeles, Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, and other trunk routes where capacity matters more than range.
Airbus A321neo. The newer A321neo entered Delta's fleet starting in 2022. It carries around 194 passengers in Delta's standard two-class configuration, and unlike the older A321, it has the longer range needed for some transatlantic flying. Delta has been adding A321neos rapidly, and the type is increasingly visible on transatlantic routes to smaller European cities.
Boeing 737-800. The 737-800 is Delta's traditional workhorse Boeing narrowbody. The aircraft seats about 160 passengers in Delta's configuration and is used across the domestic network.
Boeing 737-900ER. The stretched 737-900ER seats around 180 passengers and is used on high-density domestic routes. Delta ordered the 737-900ER in large numbers in the early 2010s, and it remains a core part of the fleet.
Boeing 757-200 and 757-300. The 757 is an aging aircraft that Boeing stopped producing in 2004, and Delta is one of the last major operators still flying them in passenger service. The 757-200 is used on premium transcontinental routes like New York to Los Angeles (where Delta runs it with a dedicated premium cabin configuration) and on some transatlantic services to smaller European cities that cannot justify a widebody. The 757-300 is the stretched version and flies on high-density domestic routes. The 757 will be progressively retired over the next several years, replaced by A321neos and A330-900neos depending on the mission.
Boeing 717-200. Delta absorbed the 717 fleet from AirTran Airways after the Southwest Airlines merger in 2011 and has been operating it on short-haul routes ever since. The 717 seats about 110 passengers and is used in a niche similar to the A220-100 on short domestic sectors. Delta has announced retirement plans for the 717, and the type is expected to leave the fleet in the second half of the 2020s.
The widebody fleet
Delta operates an almost entirely Airbus widebody fleet, with the notable exception of the Boeing 767. This is unusual among American legacy carriers and reflects a series of strategic decisions Delta made in the 2010s when choosing long-haul equipment.
Airbus A330-200 and A330-300. The original A330 variants entered Delta's fleet through the Northwest Airlines merger in 2008. Both versions seat around 234 to 293 passengers depending on configuration and are used on transatlantic and some transpacific routes. Delta has gradually been shifting flying from the older A330ceo to the newer A330-900neo.
Airbus A330-900neo. The A330neo is Delta's current long-haul workhorse. The aircraft seats 281 passengers in Delta's three-class configuration, including Delta One business class suites with sliding doors. It is used extensively on transatlantic routes to Europe, some flights to the Middle East, and on Pacific routes like Seattle to Seoul. Delta's A330neo cabin is widely regarded as one of the most refined long-haul products flown by any American airline.
Airbus A350-900. The A350 is Delta's flagship long-haul aircraft, used on the longest and highest-yield routes. The aircraft seats about 306 passengers in Delta's three-class configuration and flies on routes like Atlanta to Tokyo, Detroit to Shanghai (when operated), Los Angeles to Seoul, and Seattle to Tokyo. The A350 has become especially important on Delta's joint venture routes with Korean Air and Latam Airlines.
Boeing 767-300ER and 767-400ER. The 767 is an older widebody that Delta has been operating for decades. The 767-300ER seats around 216 passengers and is used on lower-density transatlantic routes. The 767-400ER is a stretched variant with about 238 seats, and it is used on some transatlantic routes including New York to Paris and Atlanta to various European cities. Both 767 variants are being progressively retired as A330-900neos arrive, but they are expected to remain in the fleet into the late 2020s.
Regional affiliate aircraft
Delta contracts a significant amount of flying to regional carriers that operate under the Delta Connection brand. These flights use smaller aircraft and are operated by separate companies with their own crew and maintenance organizations.
Bombardier CRJ-550, CRJ-700, and CRJ-900. The Bombardier Regional Jet family, now owned by Mitsubishi, is Delta Connection's backbone. The CRJ-550 is a 50-seat aircraft with first-class cabin configurations and is popular on premium regional routes. The CRJ-700 seats about 65 to 70 and the CRJ-900 seats about 76. These aircraft are operated by SkyWest, Endeavor Air (a Delta subsidiary), and other regional partners.
Embraer E175. The E175 is the more modern regional jet in Delta Connection service, seating about 76 passengers in a two-class configuration. It is operated by SkyWest, Republic, and Endeavor. The E175 has become the preferred regional aircraft for most premium routes because of its wider cabin, larger windows, and better passenger experience compared to the CRJ family.
Retired and recently departed types
Delta recently retired several types that might still appear in old photos and reference guides.
Boeing 777-200ER and 777-200LR. Delta retired its 777 fleet in 2020, ahead of the original retirement schedule due to the pandemic. The aircraft were used on the longest routes in the network, including Atlanta to Johannesburg, and were replaced by A350s and A330neos.
McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and MD-90. The MD-88 and MD-90 fleets were retired in 2020. These were older rear-engine narrowbodies that had been Delta's short-haul workhorses for decades. If you flew Delta in the 2000s or 2010s on a domestic route, there is a good chance you were on an MD-88.
What to expect when booking
If you are booking Delta flights and care about which aircraft you end up on, a few patterns are reliable.
For transatlantic flights, the A330-900neo is the most common long-haul aircraft. Some routes use the A350-900, particularly longer or higher-yield routes. Older A330-200s and A330-300s appear on transatlantic flights, typically on routes with longer-standing history. The 767-300ER and 767-400ER are still active on some transatlantic routes but shrinking.
For transpacific flights, the A350-900 is the flagship and appears on most routes. The A330-900neo handles shorter transpacific missions like Seattle to Seoul.
For transcontinental premium routes (New York to California, for example), the 757-200 in a premium configuration is the traditional aircraft, though it is progressively being replaced by the A321neo with a premium cabin.
For domestic routes, the aircraft mix depends heavily on route density. Trunk routes between major hubs use 737-900ER and A321 aircraft. Mid-density routes use A220-300 and A319. Regional and secondary routes use CRJ-900 and E175. Short hops use CRJ-550, CRJ-700, and occasionally 717.
How Delta's fleet compares to competitors
Among American legacy carriers, Delta has the most Airbus-heavy fleet. American Airlines is roughly balanced between Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies but has more 777s and 787s on long-haul. United operates a predominantly Boeing fleet with a smaller Airbus narrowbody presence. Southwest is entirely Boeing 737.
For a passenger, this means a Delta flight is more likely to be on an Airbus than the same route on a competitor. Whether this matters to you depends on your preferences. Airbus narrowbodies generally have a slightly wider cabin than Boeing narrowbodies, and Airbus fly-by-wire flight controls produce a subtly different ride quality, but both manufacturers build reliable and safe aircraft.
Delta's fleet decisions over the last decade have been notable for their emphasis on extracting value from older aircraft that other airlines have retired, while simultaneously investing heavily in new-generation Airbus types. The result is a fleet that is older than some competitors on average, but with modern long-haul equipment that frequently wins industry product awards.
If you fly Delta regularly, knowing the aircraft types gives you useful predictive power over what your specific flight will feel like. The A220 is one experience. The 757 is a different one. The A350 is different again. Same airline, different aircraft, different flight.
