Delta Air Lines is preparing for one of the very rare events in its flight operations. The Airbus A350-900, which entered company fleet service in 2017, will deploy on Delta Air Lines’ route to London’s Heathrow Airport for the first time ever. This special service is scheduled only during a short period in August and September, amounting to just 25 round trips.
The initial A350 flight left Atlanta, Delta’s largest hub, for London on August 26. It will continue to be reallocated through September 19 on this route, giving fliers just a few weeks to experience only a preview of Delta’s latest wide-body development on this hotly contested transatlantic route. These new 275-seater A350-900 variants first took scheduled service in May 4203.
This A350-900 variation is among the most premium-heavy: 40 Delta One suites, 40 Premium Select seats, 36 Comfort+, and 159 Main Cabin seats. This configuration is made as a part of making the Delta A350s heavier, with further-range MTOW of 283 tons and enhanced takeoff performance—two useful elements in long-haul missions, for example, to South Africa.
While Delta has not officially said why it is making the temporary move with the aircraft, it is likely an attempt to reach more revenue-generating capability during the peak summer travel season flights. That A350 is set to replace the ageing, 223-seat A330-200 that is currently used on the Atlanta-Heathrow route. On September 19, the route switched to the 281-seat A330neo, then the 238-seat 767-400ER from October 27 as the winter schedule changed.
This short A350 service presents a rare opportunity for aviation enthusiasts and general travellers. It pairs Delta’s newest, most advanced aircraft with one of its most important international routes, even if only for a short time. The A350’s added comfort and efficiency over past aircraft models should make these flights all that much more enjoyable.
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Separately, Air India is also deploying its A350-900s on flights to London Heathrow, with service starting September 1. It is a coincidental presentation for the Airbus A350, which comes with large international operators announcing new routes.
For customers who want to have that special opportunity to experience Delta’s A350 London, they will need to act swiftly. This is, in fact, just a short-term service. These decisions of redeployment uniquely serve people with exposure to once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences, besides showing how, in responding to market demand that is on the move, carriers can hold their fleet deployment.