The Boeing 767-400ER’s Only Passenger Operators

The Boeing 767 family has had a huge role to play in the field of mid to long-haul air travel over the years, with the US manufacturer having produced almost 1,400 examples across variants. It has been well over four decades since the type made its first flight in September of 1981, and it entered service a year later. Boeing made several different versions of the 767, with the 767-400ER being among the rarest.

By the numbers

According to Boeing‘s data, the company produced just 38 examples of the 767-400ER, with the stretched-fuselage variant struggling to achieve the popularity enjoyed by its counterparts from the 767-200 and 767-300 series. Nonetheless, the type has worked well for the few airlines that did choose to operate it, as almost all of them are still active today. The following is based on data from ch-aviation.

While 37 of the world’s Boeing
767-400ERs are registered with Delta Air Lines
and United Airlines
, it would be remiss not to briefly touch upon the rather different 38th example. Registered as A9C-HMH, this particular 767-400ER flies for the Bahrain Royal Flight on behalf of the country’s government with a luxurious 30-seat VIP configuration. It remains active today, aged just under 17 years old.

When it comes to the type’s commercial operators, the remaining 37 examples of the 767-400ER are split fairly evenly between Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. However, the former of the two US legacy carriers just about has the edge in this regard, with 21 examples currently present in its fleet. They have an average age of 23.9 years old, and 19 are listed as being active, with two in maintenance.

Over at United, 16 767-400ERs are currently present in the Chicago-headquartered Star Alliance
founding member’s fleet, with a slightly younger average age of 23.2 years old. Once again, the vast majority are still active today, with just one listed as undergoing maintenance at the time of writing. While Delta received its 767-400ERs brand new, United inherited them when merging with Continental Airlines.

How are they configured?

Despite being among Delta Air Lines and United Airlines’ oldest aircraft, both carriers have relatively modern onboard cabin products present on their Boeing 767-400ER aircraft. Starting with Delta, the airline’s website shows that the plane’s business class cabin features the carrier’s revered Delta One flatbed seats. The aircraft features 34 of these in a staggered four-abreast (1-2-1) configuration.

Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock

Behind these are 20 Premium Select premium economy recliner seats, laid out six-abreast (2-2-2) and boasting a 38-inch seat pitch. When it comes to economy class, the 184 passengers are split between 156 Main Cabin seats with 31 inches of pitch and 28 in Delta Comfort Plus with 34 inches. All in all, Delta Air Lines’ Boeing 767-400ER aircraft have the capability to seat a total capacity of 238 guests.

Meanwhile, United Airlines’ configuration for the type has a slightly lower capacity, with space for up to 231 passengers onboard. Interestingly, the business class cabin has an identical number of seats, although the 34 Polaris flatbeds are laid out differently, in a three-abreast (1-1-1) configuration. Behind these are 24 Premium Plus premium economy seats in the usual six-abreast (2-2-2) layout.

Photo: Cangavi | Shutterstock

Much like Delta, United Airlines also splits the economy class seats on its Boeing 767-400ER aircraft between those with extra legroom and those without such a privilege. However, the ratios are different, with only 15.2% having extra legroom on Delta, compared to 27.7% on United. Here, a whopping 48 seats fall under the banner of Economy Plus, while 125 are classified as standard economy seats.

Where do they fly?

In line with the fact that it has more examples in its fleet, data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that Delta Air Lines will operate more flights with the Boeing 767-400ER this month than United. Indeed, it has scheduled 910 767-400ER flights this November (offering 216,580 seats and 780,674,986 available seat miles), compared to United’s 717 (165,627 seats and 636,253,002 ASMs).

Photo: BUI LE MANH HUNG | Shutterstock

The Atlanta-based SkyTeam
founder uses the 767-400ER on an interesting range of both domestic and international routes. Internally speaking, its shortest routes with the type are the 403 and 406-mile hops from Atlanta to Orlando and Tampa, although the aircraft will only serve these corridors six and two times this month respectively. Delta’s longer and more popular domestic 767-400ER routes include:

• San Diego – Atlanta: 1,891 miles with nine flights each way this month.
• New York JFK – Los Angeles International: 2,475 miles with 88 flights out and 89 back this November.

Foreign passengers also have a decent shot at getting to fly onboard Delta’s Boeing 767-400ERs this month, with a wide range of international destinations served in both Europe and South America. The longest of these routes is the 4,979-mile transatlantic jaunt from Atlanta to Munich (28 flights each way), while the most popular connects Atlanta with London Heathrow 4,211 miles, 86 rotations).

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

As for United Airlines, the 767-400ER is used on an almost entirely international basis, with its only US routes being Newark to Honolulu and San Juan and Washington to Honolulu. Meanwhile, 633 of United’s 717 scheduled passenger flights with the 767-400ER this month will take the type beyond the American border from Newark and Washington to Europe and South America, with destinations including:

• South America – Sao Paulo.
• Europe: Athens, Berlin, Paris CDG, Dublin, Rome Fiumicino, Lisbon, Madrid, Munich.