Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines will soon return to operating its Airbus A319s between its hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas. The change comes as the airline deployed the A220 on the route last fall.
When the route launched, Delta scheduled the smaller variant – the A220-100 – while the larger A220-300 eventually made appearances on the route. However, despite the aircraft type being newer and more fuel-efficient, the A319 still carries more passengers than both variants.
Route history
According to aviation data and analytics firm Cirium, Delta will move to an all-A319 operation between LAX and IAH on May 1st. It will be the first time the aircraft will be the sole equipment on the route this year. Since the route was introduced three years ago, Delta has deployed a mixture of A220s, A319s, and some A320s.
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The US legacy carrier launched service between the two destinations in April 2021, Cirium data indicates. Understandably, it was a jab to United Airlines, which has dominated the route with hubs at both LAX and IAH. As demand was less due to the pandemic, Delta used the A220-100 to debut the route and handled all twice-daily flights for the remainder of the year. In March 2022, the A220-300 was deployed for the first time as demand likely grew due to pandemic restrictions easing. Come April, Delta had removed the A220-100 entirely from the route, leaving its larger counterpart to handle the service until the end of the year when the -100 returned.
Photo: Cirium
It was not until January 2023 that the A319 first appeared on the route. The aircraft was the only equipment between LAX and IAH through September of last year, except for April when the A320 handled a few flights. In October, the A220-300 returned and operated a share of the flights through November. The A319 was scheduled on all flights in December before the A220-300 came back in January of this year. From February to March, the service was entirely operated by a mix of A220-100s and -300s.
April & May 2024
This month, the A319 and A320 returned, albeit the former scheduled on the majority of flights. However, with the larger planes, the A220-300 was removed. According to Cirium data, the airline has a total of 112 flights on the route – 56 in each direction. The A220-100 will handle 15 flights in both directions, while the A319 is scheduled on 41 flights to IAH and 40 to LAX. The A320 is only scheduled on one flight from IAH to LAX. Delta offers a total of 14,119 seats on the route this month, which is more than 1,000 seats compared to the 13,077 scheduled in March.
Capacity will be boosted further next month as the A319 will be the exclusive operator. With a total of 114 flights, there are 15,048 seats scheduled. The aircraft used to be Delta’s smallest mainline aircraft until it took delivery of the A220. The A319 accommodates 132 passengers in a two-class format. First class comprises 18 recliner seats, while the main cabin has 120 seats, 18 of which are designated as Delta Comfort+, offering extra legroom.
How many passengers does the A220 carry?
The A220-300’s capacity is only fewer in the slightest. The plane has a total of 130 seats onboard: 12 first class seats, 30 Delta Comfort+ seats in the main cabin, and 88 standard seats. Delta’s smallest mainline aircraft, the A220-100, accommodates a total of 109 passengers with 12 seats in first class and 97 main cabin seats – 15 are Delta Comfort+ seats.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Delta seems to favor the A319 as its only equipment between LAX and IAH. Cirium data shows the aircraft type is scheduled on the route for the rest of the year, with no more flights scheduled on A220 metal. The A319s were inherited from Northwest Airlines when it merged with Delta in 2008. According to ch-aviation, Delta operates 57 examples, which have an average age of 22.2 years.
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