ATLANTA, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) could place firm orders for as many as 200 airplanes as it looks to replace aging aircraft, the carrier said on Thursday.
Delta said in a message on its internal employee website that it had sent proposal requests last month to several major plane makers.
The company said that it had asked for proposals to deliver 100 to 200 firm aircraft, with an option for 200 more, starting in early 2013. It said possible orders could include large, medium and small single-aisle planes to be used on U.S. routes.
Narrowbody planes are the backbone of most airline fleets and typically sell for around $80 million at list prices.
Delta said new jets could eventually replace planes such as the Airbus (EAD.PA) A320, Boeing (BA.N) 757-200 and the DC9-50, a plane made by McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in the late 1990s.
"We're now starting to plan for the long term, to ensure that we continue to maintain a flexible, cost-efficient fleet ... replace retiring airplanes and provide for domestic mainline growth," Nat Pieper, Delta vice president for fleet strategy and transactions, said in the message.
He said no decisions had been made regarding future purchases.
Airbus and Boeing are the world's largest commercial plane manufacturers, but Canada's Bombardier (BBDb.TO) has been trying to challenge them with a new "CSeries" jet projected to enter service in 2013.
This week, Airbus announced a $15.6 billion deal to sell 180 planes to Indian discount airline IndiGo. That order, the biggest in aviation history, included orders for a revamped A320 plane that would have more fuel-efficient engines.
Delta, which acquired Northwest in 2008, has more than 700 planes in its mainline fleet, which excludes feeder aircraft.
In the past year, the carrier, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has upgraded existing planes with interior improvements such as WiFi and more first-class seats. The company has also added new and used aircraft and removed some smaller regional jets and turboprops. (Reporting by Karen Jacobs, additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris)
