Delta Air Lines prefers to keep older aircraft operational for longer, and has become renowned for it. Although the fleet has undergone a significant revamp since the pandemic, Delta still maintains more than 60 aircraft that are over 30 years old.
These veteran airliners were built before the internet became commonplace, when nobody had heard of smartphones, and when handheld GPS was only just being invented. Still, thanks to the meticulous care of Delta TechOps, they continue to fly daily, getting passengers safely and comfortably where they need to go.
The very oldest plane in Delta’s fleet is a Boeing 757 with tail number N649DL, at 35 years old. Configured with 72 seats in all-business class, Delta uses it for charters, including for the NBA. Of the passenger 757s, the oldest is 34.8-year-old N658DL, which was delivered new to the airline back in May 1990.
The oldest widebody in Delta’s fleet is a Boeing 767 with tail number N171DN, which is considered to be one of the highest flight-hour 767s in existence. As of January 2025, it has clocked up more than 147,000 flight hours and 22,000 cycles.
Let’s take a look at Delta’s oldest aircraft and what the future holds for these veterans.
How old is Delta’s fleet?
As of February 2025, the Delta Air Lines fleet has a total of 988 aircraft, ranging from the small and modern Airbus A220 to the aging widebody Boeing 767. Over its 99-year history, Delta has operated a staggering 57 different types of aircraft, acquiring many new fleet types through mergers and acquisitions.
Alongside acquisitions, Delta has developed an interesting business model that favors older aircraft. In the past, it has actively sought to buy or lease slightly used jets and held on to older aircraft for longer than some competitors might. That’s not to say Delta isn’t transitioning to new technology models, though – it has substantial orders for Boeing’s 737 MAX as well as Airbus A330neo, A350, and A321neo aircraft, and already operates the world’s largest fleet of A220s, with more on the way.
According to planespotters.net, Delta has an average fleet age of 15.2 years. That’s actually younger than United’s 15.9-year-old fleet, but older than American’s 14-year average. However, of all the US big three, Delta has more aircraft over the age of 30 than any other with 62, versus United with just over 30 and American with none. However, its investment in young aircraft like the A350, A220, and A321neo helps to bring the average age down.
TechOps: Keeping Delta’s oldest planes flying
With over 60 30-plus-year-old aircraft to look after, Delta’s TechOps facility has been essential to the airline’s success. By keeping the maintenance in-house, Delta can maintain its jets to an exacting standard in an affordable manner.
As well as managing and maintaining its own fleet of aircraft, TechOps provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services to hundreds of other airlines, and is the second-largest MRO provider in North America. TechOps is home to more than 6,400 Delta Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) and is certified to work on all the major engines including CFM, GE, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce.
Delta’s strategy of holding on to older aircraft isn’t just about saving money. The airline is laser-focused on assigning the best equipment to each route environment, and sometimes the planes they have are simply the best for the market. In other cases, firm plans are in place for retirements as new technology aircraft arrive.
The oldest widebodies in Delta’s fleet
Since the pandemic phase-out of the 777, Delta operates only three types of widebody. On the Boeing side, it’s just the 767, with both the -300 and -400 in Delta’s fleet. On the Airbus side, it has the A330, both ceo and neo, as well as the Airbus A350-900 (A350-1000s are on order with deliveries beginning in 2026). While the A330neo and A350 are brand new aircraft, the 767 and A330ceo have been around for some time.
The oldest by some margin are its Boeing 767s. Delta’s 40 767-300s average out at 28.6 years old, while the increasingly rare 767-400s average 24.2 years.
The oldest widebody in Delta’s fleet is an individual with tail number N171DN, which was delivered new to Delta in June 1990. It is currently 34.9 years old and is considered to be one of the highest flight-hours 767s in existence. As of January 2025, it has clocked up more than 147,000 flight hours and 22,000 cycles. Nine other 767-300s in Delta’s fleet are over 30 years old.
The Boeing 767-400ERs are younger, all being between 22 and 25 years old. The eldest, at 25.5 years old, is N825MH, built in October 1999. It flew as a testbed for Boeing for a year before being delivered to Delta in December 2000.
Delta has affirmed plans to retire the fleet of 767-300s by 2030, with the aircraft being pulled from international routes by 2028. The 767-400, however, is not leaving quite so soon. In an earnings call at the end of 2024, Delta’s Chief Financial Officer Dan Janki shared a plan to keep the -400s on long haul international service until at least 2030.
The oldest Airbus A330 is an A330-300 with tail number N801NW. As you might guess from the registration, this 22.1-year-old Airbus came to Delta during the merger with Northwest Airlines in 2008. In fact, this was the first time Delta had operated an Airbus, and it set the tone for its future fleet plans.
The oldest narrowbodies in Delta’s fleet
The absolute oldest planes in Delta’s fleet are a group of rather special Boeing 757s. Running from tail numbers N649DL up to N655DL (with no 653), these six 757-200s are all 35 years old, with the eldest (649) being built on May 10th, 1989. Several of these aircraft were at one time operated for Delta’s low-cost subsidiary ‘Song,’ where they were configured in an all-economy 199 passenger layout.
Today, they’re much more lightly loaded, with just 72 business class seats throughout. Delta uses these for charter operations, including for the NBA. There are plans in place to upgrade the teams to a more modern A321neo experience, but until those aircraft are ready, the 757s will stay.
On the passenger side, the 757s top out at almost as old. The eldest is 34.8-year-old N658DL, delivered new to the airline in May 1990. All told, 27 of Delta’s 98 757-200s are over the age of 30. The 757-300s are slightly younger, with an average fleet age of 22.1 years. The oldest is N81NW – another Northwest acquisition – which was built in 2002 and is 23 years old.
While some of the older 757s may be retired soon, Delta has invested in updating the interiors of many of its aging narrowbodies. With no direct replacement (the A321neo comes close, but still lacks the capacity of the 757), Delta is committed to keeping the type for some time.
Mahendra Nair, Senior Vice President of Fleet and TechOps Supply Chain at Delta Air Lines, told Airways Magazine in a 2022 interview: “Some of the older ones will start being retired in the next two to three years, but we expect the 757s to fly in our fleet all the way through the 2030s.”
It’s not just aging Boeings at Delta – the airline has some pretty ancient Airbus aircraft, too. Its oldest Airbus A320 is N317US, which originally left Toulouse in April 1991. It was part of Northwest Airlines’ fleet until the merger with Delta in 2008, and is now 33.9 years old. According to FlightRadar, it’s still flying daily between domestic destinations like Detroit, Austin and New Orleans.
Within the 55-aircraft fleet of A320s, 27 are over 30 years old. Delta is slowly phasing out the oldest aircraft as new technology jets arrive – in this case, the A321neo. The airline still flies the A319 too, with 57 in its fleet, and while they’re all over 20 years of age, their size and range means they remain incredibly useful to Delta.
Finally, the increasingly rare Boeing 717 remains stoically in Delta’s fleet, having been acquired when the airline took over AirTran. The 717 is slowly being phased out in favor of the A220. Eighty aircraft remain, although 18 are listed as being parked at present. The average fleet age is 23.4 years, with the oldest operational 717, carrying tail number N940AT, still happily flying daily on multiple domestic rotations at 26 years old.
