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Delta Air Lines Inc. expects deliveries of its Boeing Co. 737 Max 10 aircraft could be pushed out to as late as 2027 as the troubled planemaker undergoes federal safety and criminal reviews<\/a>.<\/p>\n Delta has orders for 100 Max 10 planes and options to purchase 30 more, and had expected to begin receiving the planes next year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were already anticipating if it came in \u201825, it\u2019d be late in the year,\u201d Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said of the Max 10 in an interview Sunday in Austin. \u201cMy guess is it will be another year or two beyond that.\u201d<\/p>\n Delta planned to use the largest Max model \u2014 ordered in July 2022 \u2014 within its domestic network. The airline has been taking Airbus SE A321neo single-aisle planes, and \u201cwe\u2019re very pleased with that aircraft,\u201d Bastian said. \u00a0<\/p>\n Boeing is facing a rigorous review<\/a> from federal aviation regulators after a series of incidents<\/a>, including the blowout of a fuselage section during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. The Alaska incident has also triggered a criminal investigation by the Justice Department. Amid those issues, federal certification of the Max 7 and Max 10 models has been delayed.\u00a0<\/p>\n United Airlines Holdings Inc. earlier this year pulled the Max 10 from its fleet plan because of the extended delays and has been in talks to switch to another Max variant or try to secure production slots for planes from Airbus. Since Delta hasn\u2019t taken the Max yet, \u201cit\u2019s not an integral part of our fleet,\u201d Bastian said. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice part of our strategy but it\u2019s not an integral part.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Delta is \u201ccomfortable\u201d with protections it negotiated against possible delays in its contract to buy the Max 10, Bastian said, declining to be more specific. There are \u201cseveral issues with the Boeing 737 Max \u201cthat need to be addressed,\u201d and the carrier is in ongoing discussions with Boeing, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Demand for travel during spring school breaks and summer remains robust, both in the US and international markets, with Delta having some of the strongest sales days in its history over the past 10 weeks, Bastian said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nSubscribe to the CFO Daily newsletter to keep up with the trends, issues, and executives shaping corporate finance. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n