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. 

“It’s estimated that 80 percent or more of the world’s population has never experienced air travel. That’s why, as we continue to expand as an international airline, increasing the world’s access to travel isn’t just an opportunity – it's our responsibility,” Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines said on stage at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. “We live in a divided world, which is why what we do at Delta is so important. Our job isn’t to transport people. It’s to bring them together.”  

Delta’s announcement has three key elements that are the latest in a multi-decade partnership between the brands.  
 

1. 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. 
    
2. 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.  
    
3. 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. 

IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL

Delta’s mission to connect the world is about more than getting people from point to point. It’s about how much closer together the global brand can bring people, places and opportunities. Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer Julie Kitcher joined Ed Bastian and WAYE Founder Sinead Bovell on stage at CES 2025 to imagine how the aviation industry and travel experience might evolve to be more sustainable and adapt to customer needs in the coming decades.  

“At Airbus, we pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world," said Julie Kitcher, Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications. "With Delta we are redefining the future of aviation. By leveraging our combined expertise, we are accelerating groundbreaking innovations—from advancing cutting-edge flight techniques to scaling up the production of renewable fuels (SAF). Together, we are addressing today’s challenges and shaping a more connected, lower carbon future for generations of travelers to come.”

Sinead added, “Innovation can bring our diverse world closer together, and travel is a key part of that. All groundbreaking innovations require thinking completely differently about what is possible.”

The wide-ranging conversation on stage covered several ways the future of travel might evolve over the next 100 years, from what aircraft we fly, how we fly them, and the fuel we use, all of which will come together through deep industry collaboration.

CHARTING A COURSE FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE OF FLIGHT

Delta and Airbus are both working toward the industry’s ambitious goals of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by exploring different innovations that span aircraft design, fuel use cases, and flying techniques to optimize fuel efficiency. This includes exploring future airframes and wing designs for increased fuel efficiency; finding more sustainable and innovative aircraft materials to build the planes; testing formation flying at a distance to drive wake energy retrieval; ensuring future aircraft designs are created with accessibility, comfort and efficiency in mind through innovation; and embracing sustainable fuel sources, like SAF, hydrogen and electric. 

Scaling SAF

Delta and the aviation industry’s ambitions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 relies heavily on the scaling SAF. Delta has long advocated for SAF production as a critical lever for decarbonization, most notably through a first-of-its-kind SAF coalition in Minnesota. Airbus will join the Minnesota SAF Hub, working alongside Delta and other key public and private players to accelerate SAF production in the U.S. Airbus will join the Demand Consortium, with a multi-year commitment to purchase SAF.

fello’fly

Airbus pioneered a new flying technique that leverages energy uplift created by a lead aircraft to improve fuel efficiencies for a second aircraft. Taking inspiration from migrating geese, fello’fly and shows the power of collaboration in formation flying at a distance, which results in wake energy retrieval and can drive at least five percent reduction in CO2 emissions per trip. Delta will participate in the next flight test phase planned for the second half of 2025 as part of the GEESE Flight Trials led by SESAR. 

*This image is a digital rendering.

Future of Hydrogen

Delta is supporting Airbus' ZEROe project, which aims to bring the first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft to market in the next decade. Delta, Airbus, Plug Power, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) are also participating in a joint study to assess the feasibility of hydrogen-fueling at the world’s busiest airport.

Photo source: Airbus

Airframe design evolution

In the future, aircraft may look completely different than what today’s travelers are used to – everything from the cabin to the wings might change. For example, Airbus is working on an eXtra Performance Wing project that can change shape and form during flight to maximize aerodynamic efficiency. Innovations like these can drive better fuel efficiency and ultimately revolutionize the future of flight. 

Photo source: Airbus

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. 

Read more about Delta’s sustainability work.

Read more about Airbus’ sustainability work. 

Technology is a powerful tool – but it’s people that make true innovation possible. To kick off Delta’s 100-year anniversary, Delta CEO Ed Bastian hosted an immersive CES 2025 keynote experience in Las Vegas that honored the airline’s legacy of innovation over the past century while looking ahead at their vision for using technology to enrich human experiences today, tomorrow and for the next 100 years. Today, Delta is partnering with some of the world’s leading brands to transform travel and create more moments for customers to enjoy the journey as much as the destination – all unlocked for free with SkyMiles Membership. Learn more in the CES 2025 recap and media kit. We will never stop climbing.