Delta Air Lines first used the Boeing 717 in October 2013. The SkyTeam member acquired the small Boeing jet from Southwest following its acquisition of AirTran, but the 717 was not needed due to Southwest’s all-737 fleet.
According to the latest Cirium data, Delta will operate seven out of 10 of the world’s scheduled 717 flights in November. Its share has increased due to QantasLink retiring the last National Jet Systems-operated jets on October 26. Now, only Delta and Hawaiian use the type.
Where Delta’s 717s fly: November
The carrier plans 10,500 roundtrip 717-operated flights in November, all domestic. While daily services average 350, they vary massively, from a low of 222 on November 28 to a high of 407 on November 30.
Examining the type’s schedule shows that flights have fallen by 5% compared to November 2023 and remain 15% lower than before the pandemic in November 2019. Newer and more efficient aircraft, which burn far less fuel and are less maintenance-intensive, have taken over, although they are inevitably much more expensive ownership-wise.
Photo: Catharine Pierce | Shutterstock
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remains vital for the 717, with two-thirds of November’s services and 53 routes. In contrast, Detroit has 18% of flights and 18 routes, and Minneapolis has 16% and 23 routes. The three hubs’ networks include a handful of routes with just one roundtrip 717 service this month.
Image: GCMap
After the 737-900 and 757-200, the 717 is Delta’s most-used equipment at Atlanta. The jet’s activity has increasingly focused on the Georgia hub, with the 66% share of flights up from 60% a year ago and 40% five years ago. The 717 operates one of six Delta domestic flights at Atlanta.
Top 10 717 flights: November
As usual, the short 197 nautical mile (365 km) hop from Atlanta to Charlotte is the most-served airport pair. During the week, flights usually leave Georgia at 07:55, 09:40, 12:28, 15:22, 16:43, 18:24, 19:38, 20:50, and 22:40. They return to the world’s busiest airport at 06:00, 07:05, 08:30, 10:03, 11:40, 14:28, 16:25, 18:45, and 20:26.
- Atlanta-Charlotte: 264 one-way flights in November (nine daily)
- Atlanta-Dallas Love: 161 (three to six daily)
- Atlanta-Asheville: 147 (three to six daily)
- Atlanta-Jackson: 141 (three to six daily)
- Detroit-Charlotte: 139 (three to five daily)
- Detroit-Newark: 138 (three to five daily)
- Atlanta-Lexington: 117 (two to five daily)
- Minneapolis-Charlotte: 117 (three to four daily)
- Minneapolis-Newark: 110 (two to four daily)
- Atlanta-Destin/Fort Walton Beach: 107 (two to five daily)
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
Delta’s shortest and longest flights
The SkyTeam member’s typical 717-operated flight in November covers 392 nautical miles (726 km). Atlanta to Chattanooga is the shortest route (92 nautical miles, 171 km), while Minneapolis-Savannah is the longest (949 nautical miles, 1,758 km). However, the latter has only four 717 flights: November 11, 13, 14, and 18. At other times, the CRJ900, A319, and A320 are flown.
Source: Simple Flying
