Announced during Delta’s CES 2025 keynote, Delta will be a key partner with Airbus’ UpNext innovation lab; Airbus to also invest in scaling the production of sustainable aviation fuel through Minnesota SAF Hub.
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As Delta celebrates turning 100, the global airline is working to shape the future of the next century of flight. A new partnership with Airbus UpNext will position the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer and its largest operator at the forefront of advancing next generation aviation technologies to revolutionize the future of flying.
Delta’s announcement has three key elements that are the latest in a multi-decade partnership between the brands:
Network of Innovation Labs: Delta and Airbus are collaborating on early-stage, fast-track technology solutions to advance the future of aviation through Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab and a multitude of Airbus’ innovation labs across the globe, including Airbus UpNext. The two companies will explore wing performance, fuel efficiency, superconductivity, advanced aircraft assistance, and other technologies which may be needed for future aircraft. Through this partnership, Delta will offer continuous feedback to refine the innovative technologies being developed by Airbus within its network of innovation labs. This collaboration includes regular technical exchanges, Delta’s active participation in designing aspects of certain experiments, observing test runs, and the potential to test early-stage features on its fleet.
Future flight operations: Delta will test a new flying technique pioneered by Airbus called fello’fly which takes inspiration from migrating geese and showcases the power of collaboration by pairing flights. With this flying technique, the first aircraft creates an uplift that drives fuel efficiency for the following aircraft, called wake energy retrieval, which can reduce fuel consumption. Delta will participate in the next flight test phase planned for the second half of 2025.
Scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): Airbus announced its commitment to join the Minnesota SAF Hub, a first-of-its-kind SAF coalition that brings together stakeholders with a shared commitment to aggressively decarbonize the airline industry. SAF is the most important lever that we have to decarbonize aviation in the near term, but there isn’t enough SAF available to fuel the world’s commercial airlines for a single week. Airbus will also join a demand consortium with a multi-year commitment to purchase SAF.
Airbus was a founding partner of Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab when it launched at CES 2023. The Lab’s mission to unleash the power of innovation to reduce the climate impact of air travel matches well with Delta’s vision. The two have been working to unlock real-world applications and innovative breakthroughs for a sustainable future of flight, including exploring the future of a hydrogen-powered aircraft through the Airbus ZEROe project.
Together, Delta and Airbus and their ecosystem partners strive to change the way of travel for decades to come. Delta currently operates more Airbus aircraft than any other airline, operating nearly 500 Airbus aircraft across its global network with an additional 200 on order to deliver in the years ahead.
In 2024, Delta announced it would add 20 new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft with deliveries expected beginning in 2026. The order added to prior commitments of additional new A350-900, A330-900neo, A321-200neo, and A220-300 aircraft already on order.