How Did Delta Air Lines awaken 570 dormant aircraft?

Monday, October 04, 2021 at 11:08 AM ET

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Delta Air Lines jets stored wing-to-wing on a runway. Delta Air Lines

Key Takeaways:

Delta Air Lines parked 571 aircraft during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and is now reactivating them to meet recovering U.S. domestic travel demand.
Long-term aircraft storage presented numerous challenges, including protecting planes from environmental factors (heat, pests), finding suitable parking spaces, and conducting rigorous, climate-specific maintenance checks.
The complex reactivation process involves extensive system checks, reinstallation of parts, test flights, and comprehensive overhauls, taking weeks to complete depending on the aircraft's size and storage duration.

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Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.

Eric is the Air Cargo Market Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government coverage and news analysis, and was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com