Delta has almost joined its rivals by buying the Boeing 737 Max in difficulty

Wikipedia

• Delta Air Lines has almost bought the distressed Boeing 737 Max aircraft, which was immobilized worldwide earlier this year after its software was involved in two collisions in five months, which killed nearly 350 people.
• "It was a close decision," said Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian at the week's results conference. "We spent several months analyzing and going back and forth."
• American Rivals, United and Southwest Airlines have 72 Max planes between them, forcing them to cancel thousands of flights and lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
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Delta Air Lines has almost bought the distressed Boeing 737 Max aircraft, which was immobilized worldwide earlier this year after its software was involved in two collisions in five months, which killed nearly 350 people.

The Max is a "good product" and "very competitive," said Ed Bastian, Delta's CEO, when calling the airline's profits this week. The company conducted a "full review" of the cost, engine, customer opinions on the plane and other factors before finally opting for the Airbus A321neo.

"It was a close call," Bastian said. "We spent several months analyzing and going back and forth."

Delta's major rivals – American, United and Southwest – have been hard hit by the grounding of the 737 Max. They have 72 models on their fleets combined, which means they've been forced to cancel thousands of flights and lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Delta has caught up, recording record adjusted earnings and pre-tax profits in the last quarter.

Bastian refused to speculate on how competitors could re-start the plane without having to cut revenue per available seat-mile, a key industry measure. However, he said it would be a challenge.

"It is clear that Max was a real – he had a dramatic impact on our industry," he said. "I think reintroduction, when the time comes, will have to be carefully managed, no question."

Delta does not plan to add Max aircraft to its fleet even though they are priced cheaply. "We are comfortable with our existing backlog," said CFO Paul Jacobson.