Delta to acquire Southwest’s 717s

Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines announced (21-May-2012) an agreement has been signed for Delta to acquire Southwest's Boeing 717s. Southwest Airlines and Boeing will lease 88 717s originally delivered to AirTran to Delta from 2013. Delta's recent tentative agreement with its pilots union contributed to the new deal, which allowed the addition of new aircraft. Delta CEO Richard Anderson said, "These actions pave the way for us to restructure and upgauge our domestic fleet, which will lower our costs, provide more pilot jobs and improve the onboard experience for our customers. The addition of the Boeing 717s, additional large regional jets and the planned replacement of 50-seat aircraft continue Delta's commitment to operating an efficient, flexible domestic fleet that offers customers even more opportunities to upgrade to our First Class and Economy Comfort cabins." [more - original PR]