Delta Air Lines "is poised to start using Boeing 757s under a tentative agreement" for NBA charters, with almost 50% "more cabin space than the planes now on those flights," according to Michael Sasso of BLOOMBERG NEWS. The deal also calls for "ferrying as many as 27 of the 30 NBA teams, four more than last season." The shifts are detailed in a letter to U.S. regulators from the league and "offer a rare glimpse into how the biggest NBA charter operator caters to its high-profile clients." While last season’s $65M in NBA flying was a fraction of 1% of Delta’s sales, the business "helps boost profit and showcases the carrier for an elite audience." The NBA agreement will "employ 11 of the airline’s Boeing Co. 757-200s after the carrier operated the service with eight Airbus Group SE A319s," which had seats sized at about "twice as much as the industry standard." Under Delta’s new deal, the airline "would sell the 11 Boeings to an unidentified leasing company, which then would lease them to an NBA-controlled trust." The Heat, Mavericks and Rockets are the "only teams not covered by the agreement." Reps from the clubs said that the Heat and Rockets "each use different charter companies," while the Mavericks "fly in their own 757" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/6).
