I was on planespotters.net the other day, I noticed over the passt five years, DL did not take up several B737-832NG, 42 to be exact. Anyone know any apparent reason? Some were built to DL specification (-832) but was later changed to new customer code.

MSN LN Aircraft Type Airline Status / Fate Prev. Reg
1 30827 1632 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines D-ABBO Air Berlin
2 29639 1643 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines EI-DIM RBS Aviation Capital N1786B
3 29640 1649 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines B-5115 Chang An Airlines
4 29641 1654 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines D-ABBP Air Berlin
5 30824 1664 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines N549AS Alaska Airlines N3774C
6 29668 1686 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines VT-JGG Jet Airways EI-DIN
7 29671 1700 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines EC-JGE Futura
8 30826 1732 Boeing 737-8FH(WL) Delta Air Lines EC-JHV Futura
9 29672 1745 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines B-5116 Chang An Airlines N1786B
10 29642 2247 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines C-FTJH Sunwing Airlines N1786B
11 29643 2303 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines G-CEJO Flyglobespan
12 29635 2326 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines N810SY Sun Country Airlines N1779B
13 29660 2355 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines N811SY Sun Country Airlines N1787B
14 29673 2373 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines B-5346 Hainan Airlines N1786B
15 29685 2457 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines A4O-BA Oman Air N1786B
16 29681 2493 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines JA737P Skymark Airlines N1795B
17 29649 2515 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines TC-SUZ SunExpress N1786B
18 29651 2534 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines F-GZHC Transavia France N1786B
19 29684 2539 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines TC-SNE SunExpress N1786B
20 29650 2583 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines F-GZHD Transavia France
21 29638 2766 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines 4X-EKF El Al Israel Airlines
22 29682 2853 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines A4O-BM Oman Air N1786B
23 29647 2865 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines C-FTOH Sunwing Airlines
24 29680 2888 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines JA737U Skymark Airlines
25 29677 2946 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines N1779B Boeing N1796B
26 29658 2970 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines UR-PSA Ukraine International Airlines N1787B
27 29637 3051 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines A4O-BF Oman Air
28 29664 3060 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines A4O-BG Oman Air N1787B
29 29661 3083 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines B-5492 China Eastern Airlines N1787B
30 29663 3113 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines JA737Y Skymark Airlines N1786B
31 29652 3121 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines B-5493 China Eastern Airlines
32 29674 3140 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines LN-NOU Norwegian Air Shuttle N1787B
33 29662 3182 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines UR-PSC Ukraine International Airlines N1787B
34 29636 3197 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines A6-FDG flydubai
35 29686 3259 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines UR-PSD Ukraine International Airlines
36 31716 3270 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines A6-FDH flydubai
37 29653 3294 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines B-5517 China Eastern Airlines N1786B
38 31765 3302 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines A6-FDI flydubai
39 29657 3335 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines 9M-MLF Malaysia Airlines N1786B
40 31779 3395 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines 9M-MLG Malaysia Airlines N1787B
41 31723 3435 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines 9M-MLH Malaysia Airlines N1786B
42 31793 3503 Boeing 737-832 Delta Air Lines 9M-MLI Malaysia Airlines

[threeid][/threeid]This "sale" of 737-800 happened after 911 as Delta was bleeding cash and trying to save $
this article has more info:https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2004/07/19/daily42.html
https://news.delta.com/aircraft-agreeme ... hed-boeing

I noticed something weird about that list. The N numbers are repeated. Mostly N1787B. It's used on 9 airframes. Maybe it's the temporary one assign while test flying in the states?

reltney wrote:

I noticed something weird about that list. The N numbers are repeated. Mostly N1787B. It's used on 9 airframes. Maybe it's the temporary one assign while test flying in the states?

Yes, test flight registration. Airbus has same practise too. The registrations keep recycled on different frame.

cokepopper wrote:

[threeid][/threeid]This "sale" of 737-800 happened after 911 as Delta was bleeding cash and trying to save $
this article has more info:https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2004/07/19/daily42.html
https://news.delta.com/aircraft-agreeme ... hed-boeing

Thank you! You're a gem! I shall read further on this. Have a great day!

juliuswong wrote:

I was on planespotters.net the other day, I noticed over the passt five years, DL did not take up several B737-832NG, 42 to be exact. Anyone know any apparent reason? Some were built to DL specification (-832) but was later changed to new customer code.

For the record, none were built as -832s or to "Delta specification". It's just the way Planespotters listed them. A few of these were actually delivered to Delta, then sold at delivery.

reltney wrote:

I noticed something weird about that list. The N numbers are repeated. Mostly N1787B. It's used on 9 airframes. Maybe it's the temporary one assign while test flying in the states?

juliuswong wrote:

Yes, test flight registration. Airbus has same practise too. The registrations keep recycled on different frame.

This is like a dealer license plate on a car. The N number is assigned to the dealer (or manufacturer) but never assigned to the airplane. Typically, Boeing will use a "Boeing" callsign on its test flights.

Perhaps some were converted to -900 orders?

Quite a smart move really as the options on the 737s were part of the massive order made under then "gentleman's agreement" with Boeing that was essentially an exclusivity deal (AA and CO made similar deals). With preferential pricing likely given DL was probably able to make a modest profit on the sale by exercising the options but basically just selling the aircraft on.

AFAIK, they also were buying MD-90s at the same time. The profits from selling the 737s were financing the MD-90 purchases. It was a financial move to save capital.

USAirKid wrote:

AFAIK, they also were buying MD-90s at the same time. The profits from selling the 737s were financing the MD-90 purchases. It was a financial move to save capital.

Nah the initial batch of 16 MD-90s went to DL before any 737-800s ended up in the hands of customers. Arguably DL's dissatisfaction with the MD-90 at the time led to their large order for the 737-800. The second-hand MD-90s all were purchased or leased by DL from 2010 onwards, well after most of the 737-800s had been sold to third parties. There was some overlap at the end of the 737-800 order, but arguably the purchase of the MD-90s was far more about opportunistic use of capital than needing profits to buy used planes; DL was sitting on nearly $5 billion in cash at the time.

crownvic wrote:

Perhaps some were converted to -900 orders?

no orders but all of the 737NG options that Delta had with that order did end up going back to Boeing as part of the first 737-900ER order.