Atlanta, GA - On Saturday, Delta Airlines is set to retire the 777 aircraft from their fleet. The Iconic aircraft was so common around major airports around the U.S. and the world will embark on its final revenue flight on Halloween, flying between New York's JFK Airport and LAX in Los Angeles.

• Delta 777 200lr Cabin
• Delta 777-300er
• Delta 777-300er
• Delta 777 Business Class
• Delta 777x

On March 26th, 1999, the 3rd largest airline in the U.S. welcomed its first 777 aircraft to its new home in the airline's mega hub in Atlanta. The pilots performed a low flyover of the runway, giving spectators on the ground a phenomenal view of the brand new aircraft that rocked its wings as it arrived from the Boeing factory in Seattle. When asked about the arrival of the new aircraft to the fleet, the airline's then CEO said 'this is obviously the new queen of our fleet', a sign of the excitement throughout the airline for the arrival of the 777. In the over 20 years since that day, Delta has flown a fleet of 18 777 aircraft.

“The 777 has been a reliable part of Delta’s success since it joined the fleet in 1999 and because of its unique operating characteristics, opened new non-stop, ultra-long-haul markets that only it could fly at that time.” Last month, Delta announced plans to accelerate the retirement of the MD-88 and MD-90 fleets to June.

• In a pandemic-related fleet shakeup, Delta is gearing up to bid farewell to one of the largest planes it operates — the Boeing 777. This widebody jet was the workhorse on many of Delta’s flagship.
• May 14, 2020 Delta said the 777 fleet included 18 aircraft. Chief Executive Ed Bastian said the decision was made as international travel is expected to return slowly. ' Parking this fleet will provide.
• Jan 19, 2020 An investigation is still ongoing into this Delta Air Lines Boeing 777 fuel dump. Incidents like this one are incredibly rare since there are a number of operating procedures to safely dump fuel. A thorough investigation will reveal what went wrong and led to this incident.
• Delta Air Lines Inc. Is retiring its fleet of Boeing Co. 777’s and warning its pilots of massive overstaffing as the carrier grapples with the unprecedented collapse in travel demand caused by the.

As with many beloved airliners this year, the Delta 777 was yet another victim of the novel COVID-19 pandemic which has wreaked havoc through the entire aviation industry. As with all of these saddening retirements in the past months, the exit of the 777 from Delta's fleet will pave the way for a new aircraft to not only the U.S. but the world as well. This aircraft is the Airbus A350, a new, more fuel efficient aircraft, among other improvements from the 777. The A350 is also set to replace the 767-300 in the coming years, another mid-long haul aircraft that has been with the airline for decades.

The last flight is set to depart New York's JFK Airport on Saturday at 1pm local time, and arrive in Los Angeles at around 4 pm local time. The flight number will ceremonially be DL8777. The aircraft operating the flight will be one of the airline's newer 777s that has just recently been outfitted in Delta's new Delta One Business class option. After arriving in LAX, the plane will de-board passengers to a suspected small, socially distant welcome party, before departing Los Angles one final time, flying to Victorville, California, where its life with Delta will come to a close.

In the past, the Delta 777 would be found travelling throughout the world, most commonly to European cities such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Paris, among others. It would also be seen at airports throughout the U.S., operating transcontinental flights or charter flights for pro sports teams. In the years the 777 has served Delta, it has carried millions of passengers, connecting them all throughout the world, and will truly be missed by so many not only at Delta, but by the passengers who flew it, the aviation geeks that have seen it across the globe, and so many others.

Come November, there will be one less Boeing 777 operator.

In a pandemic-related fleet shakeup, Delta is gearing up to bid farewell to one of the largest planes it operates — the Boeing 777. This widebody jet was the workhorse on many of Delta’s flagship long-haul international routes, including flights from Los Angeles to Syndey and from Atlanta to Johannesburg.

But then the coronavirus came stateside and nearly wiped out all demand for these routes. Although Delta recently completed a cabin retrofit project across its 18 777s, the Atlanta-based carrier later decided to simplify its fleet for cost-effectiveness.

To that aim, in May, Delta announced the retirement of its entire fleet of 777s by the end of the year. Well, 2020 is nearly over (thankfully), and the carrier has scheduled its final two 777 flights.

If you’re looking to catch one final ride on this Boeing widebody, you better start planning now. The final two flights are as follows, according to Cirium schedules and confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.

• Oct. 30: Delta Flight 8787 ATL — LAX, 3 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.
• Oct. 31: Delta Flight 8807 JFK — LAX, 1 p.m. — 4 p.m.

Delta 777 200lr Cabin

Of course, there’s a possibility that the dates and timing shift. Over the past few months, there’s been an increased number of pandemic-related schedule changes across airlines. So while these are the final scheduled flights, anything could theoretically change at the last minute.

There are still seats left for sale in all cabins on the first retirement flight from ATL to LAX. The JFK to LAX flight is currently sold-out in business, but there are seats left in the other two cabins. Coach fares start at $149, premium economy starts at $350 and business class starts at roughly $1,200.

Award availability is limited, though there are currently some coach seats available at saver rates on the JFK to LAX flight. Delta’s charging 16,000 SkyMiles, though you can book the flight through Virgin Atlantic for 12,500 points.

You’ll still see plenty of these Boeing jets flying across the country. Aside from the myriad of international airlines that fly the 777 to the U.S., two of Delta’s biggest competitors — American Airlines and United — both operate the 777-200 and longer 777-300 variant. You’ll even find AA and UA 777s flying on domestic routes from time to time.

Related: These are the jets that could end up in the boneyard

Delta 777-300er

Delta’s retirement of the 777 is just the latest in a long list of planes being sent to the boneyard across the world. With a full recovery not predicted for a few years, carriers are streamlining their fleets and saying goodbye to the gas-guzzling jets of yesteryear. In Delta’s case, the airline has so far retired the Boeing 737-700, McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and the MD-90.

Aviation enthusiasts like me (case in point: check out my Instagram page) will mourn the fact that many Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s — two of the world’s largest passenger planes — are getting scrapped. Just this week, British Airways retired its final two Queens of the Sky. BA was previously the world’s largest operator of the 747. Going forward, it’ll have none, leaving just a handful of airlines still flying the 747.

While long-time fans and enthusiasts will miss the flying the 777 in Delta’s livery, the carrier already has a swanky modern replacement, the Airbus A350. Going forward, the A350 will be DL’s flagship aircraft. The A350 burns 21% less fuel per seat than the 777s they’re replacing.

Plus, these are some of the newest widebodies to enter the airline’s fleet. The cabins are outfitted with the latest Delta One Suites, Premium Select, Comfort+ and standard coach seating.

It’s not all sad news; the A350 is actually opening up a new market for Delta: Cape Town.

Related: Delta to serve all 777 routes with A350s, and add Cape Town

Delta 777-300er

Though the A350 can replace almost every ultra-long-haul 777 route, the Atlanta to Johannesburg frequency requires a modification. Going forward, the airline’s South Africa service will follow a new circular routing that goes: Atlanta-Johannesburg-Cape Town-Atlanta.

Delta 777 Business Class

The stop will allow for refueling at sea level before beginning the 8,130-mile trek back to the U.S. And it adds a new dot to Delta’s route map.

So while Delta’s 777 retirement is sure to disappoint some flyers, it ushers in a new era for the carrier’s fleet — one focused on more modern, fuel-efficient aircraft.

Featured photo by Alberto Riva/The Points Guy

Delta 777x

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