Airbus Faces Setback as Delta Reviews $14 Billion Jet Order
- Airline’s CEO says it’s holding discussions with planemakers
- European manufacturer beat Boeing for wide-body deal in 2014
An employee works on a section of a wing on the Airbus A350 wing production line at the Airbus SE assembly factory in Broughton, U.K., on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. Airlines are turning to twin-engine planes like Airbus's A350 and Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner for long routes.
Photographer: Matthew Lloyd/BloombergAirbus SE’s expansion into Boeing Co.’s home market faces a potential setback as Delta Air Lines Inc. reviews a $14 billion purchase of the European planemaker’s two newest wide-body models.
The Atlanta-based carrier, known as an influential and shrewd aircraft buyer, is studying its twin-aisle orders amid signs the long-range travel market is saturated, Ed Bastian, Delta’s chief executive officer, said during a quarterly earnings call Wednesday. While he didn’t name Airbus, Delta has no twin-aisle orders pending with Boeing, according to the U.S. company’s online database.