
Will Delta eventually get the Boeing Dreamliner? (Image: Boeing)
Delta CEO Richard Anderson recently sat down with AP travel reporter Scott Mayerowitz for a wide ranging interview that’s a great read for TravelSkills readers, many of whom use the airline frequently.
Some highlights:
>Despite a very heavy summer travel season ahead, Anderson is confident that Delta’s operational stats will be off the charts– he’s proud of the fact that Delta has improved significantly in flight delays, pointing to a recent 95-day run without a single mainline cancellation. (However, regional operations are a different story, as you’ll see here.)
>Anderson is confident that cheap oil will be the norm in the near term and is basing his decisions on oil prices remaining well under $100 for a while. He thinks the US will be completely petroleum independent by 2020 due to enhanced drilling techniques (like fracking).

TravelSkills chatting with Delta CEO Richard Anderson last year in Atlanta (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)
>Delta plans to continue its conservative fleet management program by refurbishing older planes and buying used ones instead of new ones. However, Delta is looking closely at the yet-to-be-produced stretch version of the Boeing’s Dreamliner, the 787-10.
>Anderson thinks Cuba’s infrastructure is going to keep it from being a major travel industry player any time soon, although he does predict that Delta will fly there. (I agree that it’s going to be a slow road for tourism in Cuba.)
>He’s more gung-ho about building up Delta operations in Shanghai, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. He’s big on expanding partnerships with China Southern and China Eastern in Shanghai and Beijing
Here’s the link to the full story from AP.
Related: Here’s Chris’s big summer outlook report from TravelSkills HQ! Please tune in for a look-see 🙂