Katerina Swanson
Delta Air Lines' fuel costs have fluctuated over the years, with the company spending $3.4 billion in 2022, $3.9 billion in 2023, and $10.5 billion in 2024, the lowest amount in recent years. The airline's fuel bill in 2024 was $4.1 billion, and while the price per gallon is not disclosed, we know that Delta uses approximately 4 billion gallons of jet fuel annually. This figure is expected to decrease by over 3 million gallons with the completion of modifications to the 737-800 fleet in 2025. Delta has also achieved significant fuel burn savings through operational improvements, such as enhanced routing and landing procedures, and by reducing auxiliary power unit usage. These initiatives have resulted in cost savings of over $100 million in 2024.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amount spent on fuel in 2022 | $3.4 billion |
| Amount spent on fuel in 2023 | $3.9 billion |
| Amount spent on fuel in 2024 | $10.5 billion |
| Fuel efficiency improvement from 2019 to 2024 | 6.6% |
| Number of aircraft in 2019 | 1,062 |
| Number of aircraft in 2024 | 1,292 |
| Fuel savings goal for Q1 2025 | 45 million gallons |
| Fuel savings from enhanced landing procedures | 1 million gallons per year |
| Fuel savings from foam engine washes | 4 million gallons per year |
| Fuel savings from winglets on 737-900ER aircraft | 3 million gallons |
| Fuel savings from winglets on 737-800 aircraft | 3 million gallons (estimated) |
| Fuel savings from Carbon Council initiatives in 2024 | 41 million gallons |
| Jet fuel usage | 4 billion gallons per year |
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What You'll Learn
Delta's fuel bill in 2024 was $10.5 billion
Delta Air Lines' fuel bill in 2024 was $10.5 billion. This was the least amount of cash the airline had spent on fuel since 2022, despite its fuel usage climbing by more than 5% year-on-year. The airline's annual report, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 11, 2025, revealed that Delta Air Lines consumed $4.1 billion of fuel (in gallons) in 2024, compared to $3.9 billion in 2023 and $3.4 billion in 2022.
Delta's ability to reduce its fuel bill can be attributed to several factors, including its focus on fuel efficiency and sustainability initiatives. The airline has been working on adding enhanced winglets and lightweight landing gear to its fleet, which make aircraft more efficient by smoothing airflow and reducing drag, thereby burning less fuel. Additionally, Delta's Carbon Council has been instrumental in driving various initiatives to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. For example, the council has implemented enhanced routing and landing procedures, reductions in catering service weight, and reduced auxiliary power unit usage, resulting in significant fuel savings.
In 2024, Delta also took delivery of 38 aircraft that are, on average, 28% more fuel-efficient per seat mile than the aircraft it has been retiring since 2019. This includes the Airbus A220-300s, A321neos, A330-900s, and A350-900s. Furthermore, Delta TechOps signed a 10-year agreement with AeroCore Technologies for their patented Nucleated Foam Technology, which improves engine performance and reduces fuel consumption.
Despite challenges like the CrowdStrike IT failure in July 2024, Delta Air Lines recorded impressive results in 2024, demonstrating its resilience and commitment to fuel efficiency and sustainability.
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Delta's fuel efficiency improvements
Delta Air Lines has implemented several initiatives to improve its fuel efficiency and reduce its environmental impact.
Firstly, Delta has focused on fleet renewal and optimization, introducing more fuel-efficient aircraft. Between 2019 and 2024, Delta took delivery of 38 new aircraft, including Airbus A220-300s, A321neos, A330-900s, and A350-900s. These new aircraft are, on average, 28% more fuel-efficient per seat mile than the aircraft they replaced. As a result, Delta achieved a 6.6% improvement in fleet-wide fuel efficiency between 2019 and 2024.
Secondly, Delta has modified its existing fleet to enhance fuel efficiency. This includes adding enhanced winglets, such as split-scimitar winglets on its Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft, and lightweight landing gear to reduce drag and fuel consumption. Delta has also implemented better flight routing, onboard efficiencies, and cutting-edge technologies, saving approximately 44 million gallons of jet fuel in 2024 compared to 2019.
Thirdly, Delta has partnered with AeroCore Technologies to utilize their Nucleated Foam Technology for engine washing. This technology improves engine performance by more effectively removing accumulated dirt and debris, leading to enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
Additionally, Delta's Flight Ops and TechOps teams have collaborated on enhanced landing procedures to reduce fuel burn. For example, the recently certified reduced flaps landing procedure on the 717 fleet is expected to save up to 1 million gallons of fuel annually.
Furthermore, Delta has established its Sustainable Skies Lab to drive innovation and research towards more sustainable aircraft. The lab focuses on nature-inspired solutions, such as Airbus' fello'fly technique, which takes inspiration from migrating geese, and MicroTau's 'shark skin' addition to planes, reducing drag and fuel consumption.
Delta's commitment to sustainability is evident in its goal of achieving Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2050. The airline is actively working towards this target by improving fuel efficiency, minimizing waste, and electrifying ground service vehicles.
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Delta's Carbon Council
Delta Air Lines has been working towards reducing its fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The airline has a strategic sustainability roadmap that aims to decrease jet fuel usage and save costs. Central to this strategy is the Delta Carbon Council, which was formed in 2022 and has been instrumental in achieving significant milestones in sustainability and cost savings.
The Carbon Council works across nearly all of Delta's frontline teams, including TechOps, Fleet, ACS, Flight Ops, and Delta Connection. The Council's initiatives have led to operational improvements that have resulted in substantial fuel savings. For example, in 2024, Delta saved 41 million gallons of jet fuel, equivalent to over $100 million in cost savings.
One of the key focuses of the Carbon Council is to reduce auxiliary power unit (APU) run-time between flights. Each minute of system-wide APU operation accounts for 1.2 million gallons of fuel consumption per year, so reducing usage can significantly decrease fuel costs. Delta has also been working on adding enhanced winglets and lightweight landing gear to its fleet, making the aircraft more efficient. These winglets smooth airflow and reduce drag, allowing the aircraft to burn less fuel.
Delta TechOps, in collaboration with the Carbon Council, signed a 10-year agreement with AeroCore Technologies for their patented Nucleated Foam Technology. This technology improves engine performance and lowers engine temperatures, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and emissions. This initiative alone is expected to save Delta 4 million gallons of fuel annually.
The airline is also committed to using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). However, the current supply of SAF is limited, and Delta is working with various stakeholders to increase its production and sustain investment in the industry. Delta has set a goal of 10% SAF usage by 2030.
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Delta's annual jet fuel usage
Delta Air Lines has been working towards reducing its jet fuel usage and improving its sustainability. In its annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 11, Delta disclosed that it consumed $4.1 billion worth of fuel (in gallons) in 2024, compared to $3.9 billion in 2023 and $3.4 billion in 2022. However, due to lower fuel prices and improved fuel efficiency, the airline spent less on fuel in 2024, with a fuel bill of $10.5 billion, despite a year-on-year increase in fuel usage of more than 5%.
Delta's focus on a fuel-efficient fleet has resulted in a 6.6% improvement in fleet-wide fuel efficiency between 2019 and 2024. The airline has been adding enhanced winglets and lightweight landing gear to its aircraft, which reduce drag and allow the aircraft to burn less fuel. Delta's Carbon Council has also been instrumental in driving initiatives to reduce fuel usage and improve sustainability. In 2024, Delta saved 41 million gallons of jet fuel, resulting in cost savings of over $100 million.
Delta's TechOps team has played a crucial role in improving fuel efficiency. They have implemented Nucleated Foam Technology, which improves engine performance and reduces fuel consumption. Additionally, Delta has been working on enhanced routing and landing procedures, reductions in catering service weight, and reduced auxiliary power unit usage to lower fuel burn. These initiatives are expected to save the airline millions of dollars and gallons of fuel annually.
Looking ahead, Delta has set a goal of 10% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) usage by 2030. While the supply of SAF is currently limited, Delta is collaborating with stakeholders to increase production and sustain investment in this area. The airline recognises the importance of reducing jet fuel usage and decarbonising its operations, not only for cost savings but also for environmental sustainability.
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$504.31
Delta's efforts to reduce single-use plastic
Delta Air Lines has implemented several measures to reduce its fuel expenditure and single-use plastic consumption. In its annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in February 2025, Delta disclosed a fuel expenditure of $10.5 billion, a decrease from $3.9 billion in 2023 and $3.4 billion in 2022. This reduction in fuel costs can be attributed to various initiatives and technological advancements undertaken by the airline.
One significant effort is Delta's focus on enhancing winglets and lightweight landing gear to improve fuel efficiency. Winglets are curved surfaces attached to the wingtips of aircraft that smooth airflow and reduce drag, resulting in reduced fuel consumption. Additionally, Delta's Carbon Council works across various divisions to implement flight metrics and actions that contribute to fuel savings. For example, by reducing the run-time of the auxiliary power unit (APU) between flights, Delta can significantly decrease its fuel usage, as each minute of system-wide APU operation accounts for 1.2 million gallons of fuel per year.
Delta has also invested in fleet renewal and optimization, introducing more fuel-efficient aircraft into its fleet. Between 2019 and 2024, Delta's efforts led to a 6.6% improvement in fleet-wide fuel efficiency. The airline has also signed a 10-year agreement with AeroCore Technologies for their patented Nucleated Foam Technology, which improves engine performance and contributes to fuel savings.
Now, onto Delta's efforts to reduce single-use plastic:
Delta has made significant strides in reducing single-use plastic consumption, notably through the elimination of plastic cups on board. After extensive prototyping and testing, Delta introduced recyclable paper cups for hot, cold, and alcoholic beverages on transcontinental flights, with plans to expand this initiative to domestic U.S. journeys in 2025. This transition will cut 7 million pounds of plastics annually and bring Delta closer to its goal of minimizing single-use plastics on board by 2025. The design process involved Delta's flight crews, catering, and operations teams to ensure the cups met strict environmental regulations and functional requirements, such as stackability and ease of separation for efficient serving.
Additionally, Delta considered multiple suppliers and visited factories to select the most suitable partner for producing the paper cups. They ultimately chose Blulabs during the final prototyping and testing phase in early 2024. The new paper cups feature a primarily aqueous liner, allowing for recycling in traditional paper recycling systems, and they contain less than 0.75% plastic. This initiative is part of Delta's broader sustainability strategy, which includes investing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from renewable sources and various operational improvements to reduce jet fuel consumption.
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Frequently asked questions
Delta Air Lines spent $10.5 billion on fuel in 2024, compared to $3.9 billion in 2023 and $3.4 billion in 2022.
Delta uses approximately 4 billion gallons of jet fuel annually.
Delta has implemented several initiatives to reduce fuel costs, including enhanced winglets, lightweight landing gear, and engine washes, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and significant cost savings.
