According to a tip from a TPG reader, confirmed by Delta, the Airbus A330-900neo will begin operating on the route ahead of schedule.
Delta's A330-900s were originally scheduled to enter service on July 1, but the airline announced in May that its inaugural flight would be pushed back to July 15. However, Delta was able to bring the new aircraft online earlier than planned.
"The decision was made because our new A330-900neos are ready for revenue service and this frees up additional widebody aircraft availability to reinforce our busy summer operation," Morgan Durrant, a Delta spokesman, said in an email. He added that the planes would continue serving the route going forward.
Delta's A330-900s have Delta One suites, Delta Premium Select premium economy, and memory-foam cushions throughout the cabin and wireless entertainment system at every seat. The airline has 35 of the planes on order, and although they carry the same number of passengers as its current A330-300s, more efficient engines mean the -900s have a greater range. "Neo" stands for "new engine option," and that's the main difference between the current A330s and the neo series: bigger, less fuel-thirsty Rolls Royce engines.
