Delta and Airbus Forge Groundbreaking Alliance to Revolutionize the Future of Air Travel

During Delta’s CES 2025 keynote announcement, Delta will be a pivotal associate with Airbus’ UpNext innovation lab; Airbus will also invest in expanding the production of sustainable aviation fuel via the Minnesota SAF Hub.

As Delta commemorates its centennial, the global airline aims to influence the future of the next century of aviation. A new alliance with Airbus UpNext will place the world’s foremost aircraft manufacturer and its largest operator at the cutting edge of developing next-generation aviation technologies to transform the future of air travel.

“It’s approximated that 80 percent or more of the global population has never experienced air travel. Therefore, as we continue to grow as a worldwide airline, widening the world’s access to travel isn’t merely an opportunity – it’s our obligation,” Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines stated from the stage at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. “We exist in a fragmented world, which underscores the significance of our work at Delta. Our role isn’t just to ferry individuals. It’s to unite them.”

Delta’s announcement comprises three pivotal elements that are the newest in a long-standing collaboration between the companies.
 

1. Network of Innovation Labs: Delta and Airbus are working together on early-stage, expedited technology solutions to foster aviation’s future through Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab and numerous Airbus innovation labs around the world, including Airbus UpNext. The two firms will investigate wing functionality, fuel efficiency, superconductivity, advanced aircraft assistance, and other technologies which may be necessary for future aircraft. Through this collaboration, Delta will provide ongoing feedback to enhance the pioneering technologies being created by Airbus within its network of innovation labs. This partnership includes regular technical exchanges, Delta’s active role in designing facets of specific experiments, observing test runs, and the opportunity to trial early-stage features on its fleet.
   
2. Future flight operations: Delta will investigate a new airborne technique initiated by Airbus known as fello’fly, which draws inspiration from migrating geese and illustrates the power of collaboration by pairing flights. With this flying technique, the initial aircraft generates an uplift that enhances fuel efficiency for the subsequent aircraft, termed wake energy retrieval, which can lower fuel consumption. Delta will engage in the upcoming flight test phase scheduled for the latter half of 2025.
   
3. Scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): Airbus declared its dedication to joining the Minnesota SAF Hub, an innovative SAF coalition that unites stakeholders committed to aggressively decarbonizing the airline sector. SAF represents the most critical lever available to decarbonize aviation in the short term; however, there is insufficient SAF to fuel the world’s commercial airlines for even a single week. Airbus will also become part of a demand consortium with a long-term commitment to procure SAF.

Airbus was an inaugural partner of Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab at its launch during CES 2023. The Lab’s goal to unleash the potential of innovation to minimize the climate footprint of air travel aligns perfectly with Delta’s vision. The two entities have been collaborating to realize practical applications and innovative breakthroughs for a sustainable flight future, including examining the prospects of a hydrogen-powered aircraft via the Airbus ZEROe initiative.

IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL

Delta’s mission to connect the world transcends mere transportation from one location to another. It’s about how much closer the global brand can unite people, places, and opportunities. Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer Julie Kitcher joined Ed Bastian and WAYE Founder Sinead Bovell on stage at CES 2025 to envisage how the aviation sector and travel experience could evolve to become more sustainable and meet customer requirements in the coming decades.

“At Airbus, we lead the way in sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world,” stated Julie Kitcher, Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer. “With Delta, we are redefining aviation’s future. By capitalizing on our complementary expertise, we are accelerating groundbreaking innovations—from enhancing sophisticated flight techniques to amplifying the production of renewable fuels (SAF). Together, we are tackling contemporary challenges and forging a more interconnected, lower carbon future for generations of travelers ahead.”

Sinead added, “Innovation can draw our diverse world closer, and travel is a fundamental element of that. All groundbreaking innovations necessitate a completely new perspective on what is achievable.”

The extensive dialogue on stage encompassed various ways in which the future of travel could advance over the next century, including aircraft design, flight methodology, and fuel utilization, all of which will converge through deep industry cooperation.

CHARTING A PATH TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE OF FLIGHT

Delta and Airbus are both committed to the industry’s ambitious objectives of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by exploring various innovations encompassing aircraft design, fuel usage scenarios, and flying practices to maximize fuel efficiency. This encompasses investigating future airframes and wing configurations for heightened fuel efficiency; sourcing more sustainable and innovative materials for aircraft construction; testing formation flying from a distance to facilitate wake energy retrieval; ensuring future aircraft designs promote accessibility, comfort, and efficiency through innovation; and adopting sustainable fuel sources, such as SAF, hydrogen, and electric.

In unison, Delta, Airbus, and their ecosystem collaborators aim to transform the travel landscape for years to come. Delta presently operates more Airbus aircraft than any other airline, with nearly 500 Airbus planes within its global network and an additional 200 on order for delivery in the forthcoming years. In 2024, Delta revealed plans to incorporate 20 new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, with deliveries anticipated to commence in 2026. This order complements its previous commitments for additional new A350-900, A330-900neo, A321-200neo, and A220-300 aircraft that are already in the pipeline.

Discover more about Delta’s sustainability initiatives.

Learn about Airbus’ sustainability initiatives.

Technology serves as a potent instrument – but it is the people who make genuine innovation feasible. To commence Delta’s centenary celebration, Delta CEO Ed Bastian arranged an immersive CES 2025 keynote experience in Las Vegas that acknowledged the airline’s legacy of innovation over the previous century while casting a forward-looking vision for utilizing technology to enhance human experiences today, tomorrow, and for the next century. Presently, Delta collaborates with some of the world’s foremost brands to revolutionize travel and create more moments for customers to savor the journey as much as the endpoint – all accessible for free with SkyMiles membership. Learn further in the CES 2025 summary and media kit. We will never stop ascending.