These Are The Three Oldest Aircraft In Delta Air Lines’ Fleet

Although recent deliveries of modern next-generation aircraft and the retirement of its McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and MD-90 fleet have pushed Delta Air Lines’ average fleet age down to just 15.2, the US legacy carrier continues to operate one of the oldest fleets in the world.

With its oldest aircraft ranging from Boeing 757-200s delivered back before the fall of the Berlin Wall to pre-Millenium Airbus A320s, Delta Air Lines’ eclectic and rather geriatric fleet has proven that older models can remain profitable in mainline operations and continue to get travelers from A to B over three decades after delivery.

Boeing 757-200 – N649DL / N658DL

Closing in on its 35th birthday, N649DL is currently the oldest aircraft in Delta Air Lines fleet. The single-aisle twinjet was delivered to Delta Air Lines on May 25, 1989, during an unusual period in world history as the Eastern Bloc’s Iron Curtain began to crumble.

Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl was topping the charts, Miami Vice had just wrapped its fifth and final season, and Delta Air Lines was taking delivery of its 48th Boeing 757-200, N659DL. The airline had been operating the type since 1984, serving as a replacement for its aging and costly Boeing 727 fleet.

While many of its contemporaries have been relegated to the big aircraft storage facility in the sky, N649DL has been since requisitioned as a charter for the NBA and NHL in a premium 72-seat configuration, though it remains in frequent service throughout the year.

Unfortunately, unless you’re a professional athlete, you’re unlikely to fly on this jet. Delta Air Line’s oldest 757-200 in passenger operations is N658DL, delivered to the carrier almost a year to date of N649DL. The 33-year-old passenger aircraft continues as a workhorse for Delta Air Lines, totaling 97,665 flight hours as of August 2023 – the equivalent of spending over 11 years in the skies. N658DL is currently earmarked for retirement in late 2027, being phased out in favor of Airbus A321neo middle-of-the-market offering.

Read More: When Will Delta Air Lines Retire Its Boeing 757s?

Boeing 767-300ER – N171DN

Delivered three weeks after N658DL, Delta Air Line’s 33-year-old Boeing 767-300ER, N171DN is its oldest operational widebody. The aircraft underwent a refit as part of its 767 and Airbus A330 cabin overhaul in 2021, offering 226 seats across three classes, including Delta One, the carrier’s premium travel product.

Although the jet enjoys the occasional infrequent transatlantic jaunt to Europe, more recently, N171DN has been frequently spotted on coast-to-coast domestic flights, as well as on services to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). According to Delta Air Lines, N171DN will be retired in 2025 alongside its 747-300ER and Boeing 717 fleet.

Age appears to be catching up with the aircraft. This year alone, N171DN has been involved in two engine-related incidents. While operating a flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Prague’s Václav Havel Airport (PRG) in June, the aircraft experienced an engine surge and had to return to New York less than an hour after take-off. Less than three months later, on departure from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to JFK, one of the jet’s engines failed, requiring a diversion to Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). It was returned to service three days later following maintenance.

Airbus A320-200 – N312US

While several 757s and 767s are slightly older than this jet, N312US has officially taken the title of the oldest Airbus aircraft in Delta Air Lines fleet following the recent retirement of N309US.

N312US was not originally part of Delta Air Lines’ fleet; it was actually acquired by the carrier as part of its merger with Northwest Airlines in 2008, quickly filling a vital role within its domestic and short-haul network. Despite a brief storage at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) between April and July 2020, N312US and other Airbus A320-200s have continued to serve as a backbone for Delta Air Lines’ North American operations; however, deliveries of Airbus’ next-generation A220 and A321neo are set to slowly replace the type over the next five years.

Due to its advanced age, N312US is not expected to remain in service much longer. The jet is earmarked for retirement in December 2023 with other 1991 and 1992 A320 entrants: N317US, N319US, N320US, and N321US. Upon their retirement, the 32-year-old N323US will become the oldest A320-200 at Delta Air Lines.

Have you flown on any of Delta Air Lines’ older aircraft? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: ch-aviation, Aero Inside, Aviation Safety Network