During the recent CES 2025 technology conference, Delta and Airbus announced a partnership to shape the future of air travel. The leading aircraft company and its largest operator will join forces to introduce next-gen aviation technologies, and advance flight further into the 21st century.
Delta and Airbus UpNext: Mapping out air travel’s future
Onstage at the Las Vegas Sphere, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said: “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. 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.”
The partnership between Delta and Airbus UpNext covers three main areas.
Network of Innovation Labs: The two companies are working together on early stage, fast-track technologies to push aviation forward. That’s accomplished via Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab and global Airbus innovation labs, including UpNext. Example technologies include wing performance, superconductivity, fuel efficiency, and advanced aircraft assistance.
Future Flight Operations: Delta will begin testing a flying technique pioneered by Airbus, called “fello’fly” that mimics migrating geese. The method pairs aircraft, with the leading plane enhancing the others’ fuel efficiency using “wake energy retrieval.’
Scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF): Airbus said it will join the Minnesota SAF Hub, a group of stakeholders committed to lowerering the industry’s carbon emissions. Though SAF is essential to decarbonize air travel, there currently isn’t enough to fuel the industry for a single week.
Julie Kitcher, Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications, said: “At Airbus, we pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. 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.”
