10 May 2020: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, Delta has decided to reduce system wide capacity. Going by this, the older and less efficient MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft will retire earlier than previously planned. Both the aircraft will retire by June 2020.
Delta has about 47 MD-88s and 29 MD-90s operating across domestic network.
Before the pandemic, the 149-seat MD-88 was set to retire by the end of 2020.
Delta continues to evaluate its broader fleet plan and will consider additional aircraft retirements to focus on a modern, more simplified fleet going forward.
Delta has about 600 mainline and regional aircraft grounded in the last two months.