• Delta Air Lines to take 20 carbon-neutral new aircraft deliveries from the Airbus final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.
  • Using biofuels and carbon offsets in coordination with Air BP, this move is Delta’s latest sustainability action toward its long-term goal of a 50 percent carbon emission reduction by 2050.

The newest A321 in Delta’s fleet will make its initial flight today – completely carbon-neutral, a first for Delta as it continues to make strategic moves to bolster its ongoing sustainability commitments.

Delta has partnered with Air BP to supply biofuels for an initial 20 delivery flights from the Airbus final assembly line in Mobile, Ala. which are manufactured and refined via sustainable sources and processes. The first flight will depart Mobile, Ala. for a facility in Kansas City where final induction work will be performed before the aircraft moves into service for Delta’s customers across its extensive domestic route network.

Test Flight

Since 2005, the airline has reduced its jet fuel consumption, leading to an 11 percent decrease in emissions as it works toward its long-term goal of achieving carbon-neutral growth and reducing carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2050. Delta was the first and only U.S. airline to voluntarily cap carbon emissions at 2012 levels by purchasing carbon offsets ahead of the ICAO CORSIA implementation, which caps international emissions at 2019/2020 levels.

Delta is also the first U.S. airline to recycle aluminum cans, plastic bottles and cups, and newspapers and magazines from aircraft, accounting for the recycling of more than 3 million pounds of aluminum from onboard waste. Delta is also removing a variety of single-use plastic items, including stir sticks, wrappers, utensils and straws from its aircraft and Sky Clubs, and removed all plastic wrapping from international Main Cabin cutlery and its new amenity kits for all cabins. These efforts will divert over 300,000 pounds of plastic from landfills each year.

Picture Captioned: The aircraft, seen here during its test flight, was delivered from Mobile, Ala. this morning​.