Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (IATA: DL, ICAO: DAL, and Callsign: DELTA) (NYSE: DAL) is a United States airline^[2] based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.^[3][4] Delta operates an expansive domestic and international network, spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Delta and its subsidiaries fly to over 375 destinations in 66 countries (excluding codeshare), across 5 continents.^[5] Delta is the only major U.S. carrier that flies to Africa.^[6] On October 29, 2008, Delta closed its merger with Northwest Airlines to form the world's largest carrier.^[7]

Delta operates its largest hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Delta also maintains hubs at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport.

Delta's Atlanta hub is the busiest airline hub in the world. Delta carries more passengers across the Atlantic than any other carrier worldwide. Its major transatlantic gateways are Atlanta, Cincinnati, and New York-JFK. Transatlantic service from Salt Lake City to Paris started in 2008. Its major Latin American gateway is Atlanta.

The company

Delta Air Lines's flagship aircraft type, the Boeing 777-200LR

Airline operations

• Delta, the "mainline" component of Delta Air Lines, Inc., - serves primarily high-volume domestic flights and long-haul international services.

• Comair a regional component of Delta Air Lines, Inc., - serves primarily domestic short-haul, low-density, high frequency flights.

• Northwest Airlines - [4]

• Mesaba Airlines - regional component of Northwest acquired in the buyout.

• Compass Airlines - regional component of Northwest acquired in the buyout.

Aviation business related operations, divisions, and subsidiaries

• Comair, Inc.
• Comair Holdings, LLC
• Comair Services, Inc.
• Crown Rooms, Inc.
• DAL Aircraft Trading, Inc.
• DAL Global Services, LLC
• DAL Moscow, Inc., a 50/50 partnership with Aeroflot
• Delta AirElite Business Jets, Inc.
• Delta Benefits Management, Inc.
• Delta Cargo, Delta's air freight division.
• Delta Connection, a marketing brand given to flights operated by certain regional airlines on short- to mid-haul, low- to mid-volume routes, "connecting" hubs to airports where the larger "mainline" planes would either have a hard time accessing, go unfilled or too infrequently to be profitable.
• Delta Connection Academy, Inc.
• Delta Corporate Identity, Inc.
• Delta DASH, Delta's same-day small package delivery service, part of Delta Cargo.
• Delta Loyalty Management Services, LLC
• Delta Shuttle, which operates high frequency, short-haul service using McDonnell Douglas MD-88s configured with a single-class cabin. The flights operate between LaGuardia Airport and Logan International Airport; and between LaGuardia Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Delta Shuttle operates with the same operating certificate, callsign, IATA, and ICAO codes as Delta Air Lines, Inc., unlike Delta Connection branded sub-fleets flown by other certificated regional airlines.
• Delta Technology, LLC
• Delta Ventures III, LLC
• Epsilon Trading, Inc.
• Kappa Capital Management, Inc.
• Northwest Airlines, an airline based in Minnesota merged with Delta to create the nation's largest airline. It operates routes in North America, Asia, and Europe. Merger closed on October 29, 2008.

Former subsidiaries

• ASA Holdings
• Song, LLC

Defunct airline brands operated by Delta

• Delta Express began service in October 1996 in an attempt by Delta to compete with low cost airlines on leisure-oriented routes. Its main base of operations was Orlando International Airport and it used Boeing 737-200 aircraft. It ceased operations in November, 2003 after Song was established.
• Song began service on April 15, 2003 as a single-class airline operated by Delta to compete directly with JetBlue Airways from both airlines' hubs at New York-JFK. While the brand was considered a successful addition to the Northeast-to-Florida market, financially the airline suffered. As a result, on May 1, 2006, Song was folded into the Delta mainline brand. The "Song" entertainment system will remain in place on certain long-haul domestic flights. Additionally, all former "Song" aircraft have been reconfigured to accommodate 26 First/158 Economy passengers. These aircraft are now focused primarily on trans-continental flights from JFK and ATL. Song used Boeing 757 aircraft.

As a historical footnote, Western Airlines was acquired on December 16, 1986, and was operated as a separate airline by Delta for over three months.^[8] In a case by a union to stop the workforce integration, the U.S. Supreme Court wrote "On December 16, 1986, shareholder approval of the merger was confirmed and Western Airlines became a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta."^[9] The changeover date for discontinuation of the Western Airlines brand and the date for merger of the two airlines' workforce was April 1, 1987.

Delta was the launch operator of the Douglas DC-8, which began service in 1959, and the Convair CV-880 in 1960. The DC-8's graceful swept-wing design inspired Delta to come up with a new red, white, and blue delta-shaped logo (the "widget"). Just a few years later, Delta became the launch operator of the Douglas DC-9. By 1970, Delta was an all jet airline.

Merger with Northwest Airlines

Main article: Delta Air Lines-Northwest Airlines merger

On January 15, 2008, Delta Air Lines was reported to be in merger talks with Northwest Airlines and United Airlines.^[10] Although each airline declined to comment officially, many notable newspapers, as well as industry analysts, expected an announcement as early as mid-February 2008 as to which airline the Delta Board of Directors would like to pursue a merger. Delta asserted that it would retain its name and its Atlanta hub in any merger, possibly as the surviving airline.^[11] By late February 2008 the merger discussions with Northwest Airlines appeared to have broken down over pilot seniority issues.^[12]

On April 14, 2008, both Delta and Northwest Airlines announced that they would merge to create the world's largest airline. The Atlanta-based combined airline will have $17.7 billion enterprise value. The company also stated on April 14, 2008 that it agreed with its pilot union to extend the existing collective bargaining agreement through the end of 2012. The agreement, subject to a vote by the pilots, provides Delta pilots a 3.5 percent equity stake in the created new airline^[13]. On October 29, 2008, the United States Department of Justice approved the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest.^[14]

History

Early history

A Douglas DC-7 in Delta livery

The company has its roots in Huff Daland Dusters, which was founded on May 30, 1924 in Macon, Georgia, by several partners including Collett E. Woolman becoming the world's first aerial crop dusting company. Huff Daland moved to Monroe, Louisiana the following year. On September 13, 1928, Huff Daland Dusters was purchased by C.E. Woolman and renamed Delta Air Service after the Mississippi Delta, where its route connected Dallas, Texas to Jackson, Mississippi, via Shreveport and Monroe. The original directors of Delta Air Service were C.H. McHenry, Travis Oliver, and M.S. Biedenharn. This service was terminated in 1930 after the "Spoils Conference" and the Post Office awarded the route to American Airlines. Delta restarted passenger service in August 1934 with a route from Charleston, SC to Fort Worth, with stops in Columbia, SC, Augusta, Atlanta, Birmingham, and Meridian along the way.^[15]

In 1941, Delta moved its headquarters from Monroe to Atlanta, to center itself along its new route network that now stretched to Chicago, Miami, and New Orleans. The logo for Monroe Regional Airport is based on the Delta logo, in honor of it being the airline's birthplace and the original headquarters for Delta.

In 1953, Delta purchased the Chicago and Southern Air Lines, and flew under the name Delta C&S for the next two years. ^[16]

1970s and 1980s

In 1970, Delta entered the "wide-body" jet era with the purchase of five Boeing 747s to service its new long-haul high density routes. The initial route was a Los Angeles-Dallas Love Field-Atlanta routing. Delta also had an interchange with Pan Am using Delta 747 to fly to London Heathrow Airport. However, with the economic slowdown of the early 1970s, Delta found the aircraft too large for its routes and it sold them a few years later. Shortly thereafter, Delta leased five DC-10s from United Airlines as a stopgap until its larger order of the new Lockheed L-1011 TriStars could be delivered.

A Delta L-1011

Delta purchased Northeast Airlines in 1972 to strengthen its market share in the northeastern United States. Through the purchase, Delta began its long Boeing 727 operation.

In 1973, the Lockheed TriStar entered service for Delta. Delta placed these aircraft in international service from Atlanta to London in 1978; Frankfurt was added the following year. Delta's fast growth showed in August 1979 when it became the first airline in the world to board one million passengers in one city in one month (Atlanta).

Delta launched Delta Air Express in 1975, the first "high-priority, guaranteed cargo service"^[17].

Delta launched its first frequent flyer program in 1981 which became the SkyMiles program in 1995. In 1983, Delta took delivery of its first Boeing 767-200, named the Spirit of Delta, which was paid for "by voluntary contributions from employees, retirees and Delta's community partners." The effort, called Project 767, was spearheaded by three Delta flight attendants to show the employees' appreciation to Delta for solid management and strong leadership during the first years following airline deregulation."^[18] The airplane remained the flagship of the Delta fleet until 2006, and was repainted in a commemorative paint scheme and toured the country to celebrate the airline's 75th anniversary in 2004.^[19]

In 1984, the company established the Delta Connection partnership linking local "feeder" airlines that served mid-size population areas to Delta nodes. The same year, Delta began its first flight to Hawaii (Honolulu International Airport) with L-1011 aircraft. Also in 1984, Delta began to offer the nation's first public air-to-ground telephone system with Airfone, on the L-1011. Delta was named 'Official Airline of Walt Disney World' in 1986, and its official ride in the Magic Kingdom was Delta Dreamflight, and was discontinued in the late 1990s when Delta's partnership with Walt Disney World ended.

In 1987, Delta merged with Western Airlines of Los Angeles and absorbed its large hubs at Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Through these acquisitions and expansions Delta became the fourth largest U.S. carrier and fifth largest world carrier. Also in 1987, Ronald W. Allen became chairman and CEO.

1990s

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300ER in 1997-2000 livery. The last mainline aircraft in this livery was repainted to the current livery as of July 2008.

In 1990, Delta became the first U.S. airline to operate the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft ^[20], leasing two from Mitsui. Delta operated 15 MD-11s. Delta's most dramatic expansion (at that time) came with its purchase of Pan Am's European routes in 1991 which included all north Atlantic routes except Miami to London and Paris, and the Frankfurt, Germany hub, after Pan Am declared bankruptcy. The purchase gave Delta the largest transatlantic route network, a fleet of 21 Airbus A310 aircraft, and the Worldport (Terminal 3) at JFK. Due to these acquisitions, Delta became and remains today the largest U.S. transatlantic carrier, in terms of passengers carried and number of flights operated. Delta also acquired Pan Am's northeastern shuttle, inheriting of a number of Boeing 727s, and forming what is today Delta Shuttle.

In 1991, as one of the conditions for Delta's financial support of Pan Am, Delta had the rights to use the Pan Am name on flights across the Atlantic. Delta obtained all of Pan Am's remaining transatlantic rights, except Miami to Paris and London, in November, 1991, including the route from Detroit to London, despite Northwest Airlines' objections. It was an unusual route for Delta given its small presence in Detroit, and Northwest's correspondingly larger operations.^[21] Northwest later attempted to buy US Air's (now US Airways) Baltimore-London route for $5 million and transfer the route to Detroit^[22] but ended up buying the route from Delta in 1995^[23] for a rumored $32 million. The naming right was never exercised even though the Pan Am name was a much more widely recognized name in Europe than Delta. Within weeks after the route and asset transfers were complete, Delta ended its financial support, which led to Pan Am ceasing operations on December 4, 1991.^[24]

After withdrawing its agreed upon financial support, which would have allowed Pan Am to continue with a hub in MIA, Delta was sued for more than $2.5 billion on December 9, 1991 by the Pan Am Creditors Committee. ^[25] Shortly thereafter, a large group of former Pan Am employees also sued Delta. Delta was able to combine and move the cases from New York to Atlanta. Delta was also able to prevent a jury trial, which, according to Business Week magazine, its attorneys had stated it would likely lose. The Atlanta judge then dismissed the lawsuits.

In 1995, responding to Qantas and American Airlines innovation of codeshare agreements, Delta established its own code sharing arrangements with Swissair, Sabena, and Austrian Airlines, which launched Atlantic Excellence, disbanded in 2000, for codesharing with Air France which led to the Skyteam alliance.

By 1997, during which Leo Mullin was named CEO, Delta began large expansions into Latin America and in 1999 introduced the Boeing 777 into its fleet, for longer non-stop flights. During Mullin's tenure, Delta saw large expansions into Latin America and the Caribbean. This was also known as Delta's "technological growth period". Airport kiosks were introduced, Delta Technology was developed into an industry leading technology division, gate information display screens (GIDS) were rolled out, and internal software was thoroughly revamped. However, Mullin's legacy was ruined by labor woes, huge losses in the post-9/11 period, a major executive compensation scandal, and a bankruptcy filing months after he abruptly retired.

Throughout the 1990s, Delta maintained a secondary hub at Portland for its Asia operations. In addition to regularly scheduled flights to Delta's primary hubs during this time (Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas, and Salt Lake City), several of Delta's flights to Asia were routed from Portland and Los Angeles, using L-1011 and MD-11 aircraft. Destinations included Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Manila, Nagoya, Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo. Delta was one of the airlines targeted in the failed Operation Bojinka plot: the conspirators planned to bomb a Delta MD-11 flying from Seoul to Bangkok via Taipei on January 21, 1995. Today, all Asia operations from Portland and Los Angeles have ceased. Asian service is offered from Delta's Atlanta and New York – JFK hubs to Mumbai, India; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China

In 1996, Delta carried the Olympic Torch from Athens, Greece where it was lit, to Los Angeles, California for its traditional circuit to the Olympic Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia for the 1996 Summer Olympics, of which Delta was the official airline.

In 1998, Delta and United Airlines introduced a marketing partnership that included a reciprocal redemption agreement between SkyMiles and Mileage Plus programs and shared lounges.^[26] This scheme allowed members of either frequent flier program to earn miles on both carriers and utilize both carriers' lounges. Delta and United attempted to introduce an even cozier codeshare relationship, but this was deal was effectively killed by ALPA.^[27] The marketing partnership ended in divorce in 2003 and paved the way for an expansion of the SkyTeam alliance.

In 1999, Delta was a founding partner of the online travel agency Orbitz originally began by a group of several major U.S. airlines, which was purchased by Cendant in 2004. Earlier in that decade, Deltamatic Computer reservations system was deprecated in favor of Worldspan.

SkyTeam, a global alliance, was created in 2000 and Delta partnered with AeroMéxico, Air France, and Korean Air. Three years later, Delta implemented the largest domestic codeshare alliance with Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines. Today SkyTeam now the second largest airline alliance in the world and continues to add members to its ranks.

Delta's short-lived Los Angeles focus city was significantly reduced in 2008, ending the build up toward hub status as Delta went from a high of 48 destinations from the airport to just 17. ^[28]

Fleet transformation in the early 2000s

A Delta Boeing 767-300ER at Stuttgart, Germany

In an effort to simplify its fleet and capitalize on cross-platform compatibility not only in pilot training but also maintenance, the airline began to retire its trijets (three-engine planes) in favor of twinjets (two-engine planes). Delta's entire active fleet is now composed of twinjets, excluding Northwest's 747's. The airline is the world's largest operator of 767 aircraft:

• The Lockheed L-1011, for many years the workhorse of the Delta fleet, numbering as high as 56 aircraft in service. The last L-1011 (N728DA) was retired on July 31, 2001. The final flight operated as Flight #1949 from Orlando to Atlanta, and received a huge display of bittersweet fanfare from Delta employees, Hartsfield International Airport Fire/Rescue, and aviation enthusiasts, many of whom took the day off from work, or school to attend the historic final flight. The big Lockheeds were replaced with the Boeing 767-400.
• The airline's many Boeing 727s were completely replaced with Boeing 737-800s in 2003.
• Delta operated its last MD-11 flight on January 1, 2004, operating as Flight 56 from New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita International Airport) at 4:45pm. The aircraft arrived in Atlanta at 3:20pm. This concluded the MD-11s relatively short service in the fleet. MD-11 aircraft have been replaced with Boeing 777-200ERs. On September 23, 2004, a Delta spokesperson confirmed plans to sell eight MD-11s to FedEx Express. The remainder MD-11s were sold to World Airways for charter use, and some were converted to freighters for UPS Airlines.

Bankruptcy

As early as 2004, in an effort to avoid bankruptcy, Delta announced a restructuring of the company that included job cuts, and an aggressive expansion of Atlanta operations by some 100 new flights, making it a 'super-hub' and requiring the airline to spread its flight schedule more evenly across the day.^[29] This was known to all Delta employees as "Operation Clockwork". Further, by mid-2004 the airline had announced it would be closing its fourth busiest hub (Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport), which it did on January 31, 2005. In a huge concessionary move, the pilots at Delta agreed to across-the-board 32.5% reductions in hourly pay rates in order to help the company stave off a bankruptcy filing. The agreement also included numerous changes in work rules, granting the company efficiencies in staffing and scheduling.

On January 5, 2005, Delta introduced SimpliFares, a radical transformation of its fare structure, which cut its most expensive fares by as much as 50 percent nationwide and capped one-way domestic fares at $499 in coach class and $599 first class. However, due to continued high fuel costs, the company was forced to raise these fare caps by $100 in July, 2005, to $599 in coach class and $699 in first class. Airline fares are constantly in a state of flux, in addition to the constant change in fares due to the selling of seats allocated for lower fares. However, some claim that the SimpliFare is simply a marketing technique to alert the public that there is a maximum ceiling price for Delta's fares. Delta also launched a system of "same-day confirmed" whereby for $25, a passenger is able to confirm a seat on a different flight instead of standing-by. in August 2007, the "same-day confirmed" fee increased to $50.

Also in 2005, in an attempt to increase profitability, Delta applied to serve a daily non-stop flight from Atlanta to Beijing, China starting in March, 2006, but rights were instead awarded to American Airlines operating from Chicago to Shanghai and Continental Airlines operating from Newark to Beijing.

On August 15, 2005, in an SEC filing, Delta announced that it had finalized a deal to sell Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines for $425 million in cash to SkyWest Airlines in an effort to obtain money to avoid bankruptcy. Analysts called the move a desperate one, estimating ASA's worth at around $700-$800 million — a price which SkyWest would not have been willing to pay.^[30]

On September 7, 2005, Delta announced that it would cut 26% of its flights at its Cincinnati hub and redeploy aircraft to its hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.^[31] The move will ultimately eliminate up to 1,000 jobs in Cincinnati. In addition and in hopes of increasing profit yields, the airline announced further international expansion into Europe and Latin America.

On September 14, 2005, Delta filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the first time in its 76-year history. The company cited high labor costs and record-breaking jet fuel prices as factors in its filing. At the time of the filing, Delta had $20.5 billion in debt, $10 billion of which accumulated since January 2001.

Reorganization during bankruptcy

Boeing 767-300ER in the livery used from 2000 to 2007

On September 22, 2005, Delta announced the acceleration of restructuring activities, targeting an additional $3 billion per year in cost reductions by 2007. $970 million of this amount was to come from debt relief, lease and facility savings, and previously commenced fleet modifications. Non-union workers' salaries were to be reduced by a minimum of 9% across the board, with a 15% reduction for executive officers and a 25% pay cut for CEO Gerald Grinstein. In December 2005, the Delta pilots agreed to an additional temporary 14% cut in pay, piggybacking onto the 32.5% taken at the beginning of 2005. This cut was made permanent with the ratification of an agreement in June 2006. Additionally, the company planned to lay off between 7,000 and 9,000 of its 52,000 employees.^[32]

As for its route network, Delta planned to alter its structure by reinforcing hub presence in Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York, and Salt Lake City, while at the same time increasing point-to-point routes, reducing domestic capacity by up to 20% while growing more profitable international route (especially Asia, Caribbean and Europe) capacity up to 25%.

In 2006, Delta purchased rights to fly between New York and London from United Airlines.^[33]

On February 24, 2006, Delta, along with Continental Airlines and FedEx Express, saw future operations to Venezuela severely affected by President Hugo Chávez's decision to restrict flights coming into that South American country from the United States.^[34] As of March 23, 2006, U.S. and Venezuelan aviation authorities were able to negotiate a solution to their dispute, likely ensuring that Delta's operations to Venezuela would not be curtailed in the future.

On March 7, 2006, Delta announced expanded service from its prominent hub at New York-JFK. In addition to the expansion of mainline service at the airport, Delta would partner with Mesa Air Group to provide regional flights throughout the northeast under the Delta Connection banner. At the same time the airline announced an expansion to a number of new cities from its Salt Lake City hub.

Based on all of these new initiatives, Delta projected a return to profitability by late 2007, based on a crude oil price model of $66 per barrel, in contrast to other bankrupt carriers' restructuring modeled on $55 per barrel. Delta would eventually reach this goal of full year profitability in 2007^[35].

Delta announced that coach travelers in the United States who have a flight longer than four hours will have on-demand programming on all those flights starting in 2007 at its main hubs in New York, Salt Lake City, and Atlanta. This was to counter entertainment offerings of other airlines like JetBlue Airways, and take place of Song's service. Delta claims to offer the leading in-flight entertainment system in the United States. Live programming and music are free, and movies will be available on demand for a nominal fee in coach and for free in first class.^[36] Delta also intends to install an improved in-flight entertainment system on internationally-configured aircraft, featuring a personal selection of movies. The system will be installed in all classes on Boeing 767-400ER and 777-200ER aircraft, and in the BusinessElite section on Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.^[37]

On November 9, 2006, the airline announced that it would recall 1,000 flight attendants that were previously laid off. In addition to the flight attendant recall, Delta announced in late December 2006 that it had exhausted its pilot recall list and was now accepting pilot applications for the first time in 5 years. They expected to take on close to 200 first officers through 2007.^[38]

Failed takeover attempt by US Airways

During the later part of 2006 and early 2007, US Airways Group, holding company for US Airways, proposed an acquisition of Delta Air Lines. The combined entity would have been operated under the Delta name. This attempt was withdrawn after failing to gain support from Delta's major creditors and opposition by Delta management.

On November 15, 2006, Bloomberg reported that US Airways Group, the parent of US Airways, proposed a takeover of Delta for $8 billion in cash and stock.^[39] However, Delta's CEO reiterated that the best interests of Delta and its creditors were served by the company emerging from bankruptcy as an independent, stand alone carrier. In the ensuing days, Delta mounted an aggressive defense against the takeover attempt.

In addition to Delta management, Delta employees appeared to be extremely skeptical of US Airways management's claims that a merger would result in no job reductions and provide a more secure future for a combined entity. Employees had started wearing "Keep Delta My Delta" buttons and campaigning to raise public awareness of their opposition to the proposed takeover.^[40]

On December 19, 2006, Delta announced (as expected) it rejected US Airways Group's proposed merger. Along with the announcement, it launched a media campaign against the merger to raise public support. The campaign, "Keep Delta My Delta", was picked up from the employee grassroots effort of the same name. The effort's website harbored an e-petition, quotes from prominent dissidents, and the effects the merger could have on selected localities. In its report, Delta cited many reasons for rejecting the bid, including it would lead to worse customer service, possible layoffs, an inefficient carrier, the carrier with the largest debt-load in the industry, and near-monopoly powers.^[41]

On December 20, 2006, Delta and its financial advisor, the Blackstone Group, declared that Delta would be valued at between $9.4 billion and $12 billion after emerging from bankruptcy, which would (at the time of this writing) give it a market capitalization comparable to that of Southwest Airlines Co. or greater than that of American Airlines' AMR Corp. and Continental Airlines, Inc. combined. US Airways Group CEO Doug Parker stated that Delta's self-valuation lacked credibility and was unrealistic.^[42] Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein retorted by stating that the Tempe-based airline was "the worst of all potential merger partners".^[43]

On January 10, 2007, US Airways raised its bid by 20%, to $10.2 billion. The revised offer was set to expire by February 1 unless Delta's creditors opened the airline's books to US Airways and delayed a scheduled February 7 court hearing pertaining to Delta's reorganization plan.^[44] Delta responded with a statement, claiming that "...the revised proposal does not address significant concerns that have been raised about the initial US Airways proposal and, in fact, would increase the debt burden of the combined company by yet another $1 billion."^[45] That same day Delta Air Lines was speculated to be in talks with Northwest Airlines and United Airlines to fend off the US Airways bid.^[46] CEO Gerald Grinstein, however, denied that any serious negotiatons were ongoing with Northwest or any other airline.^[47]

On January 28, 2007, US Airways holding company raised its bid by another $1 billion according to the Wall Street Journal,^[48] but company spokesmen denied any change.^[49] On January 31, 2007, Delta's creditors rejected US Airways' hostile takeover attempt, and US Airways withdrew its offer to buy Delta. On the same day, executives and employees of the company gathered to celebrate the re-lighting of the historic "FLY DELTA JETS" sign at the company's main hub, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.^[50][51]

Emergence from bankruptcy

Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-200ER in new livery.

On April 25, 2007, the airline's bankruptcy plan was approved by the Bankruptcy Court. On April 30, 2007, Delta Air Lines emerged from bankruptcy protection as an independent carrier. Delta also unveiled a new logo, reminiscent of its logo from the 1970s and 1980s, and a new paint scheme. Delta's bankruptcy exit strategy was vastly different from that of United in that it expanded its way out of bankruptcy, rather than retrenching .

Delta's previous stock was canceled as of Monday, April 30, 2007, and new shares are trading on a "when issued" basis on the New York Stock Exchange. These shares began trading normally on Thursday, May 3, 2007. The starting price was around $20.00 a share, and went up to as high as $23.35. But investors showed little confidence in the stock as the price fell to $19.00 later in the week. ^[52]

Upon exiting bankruptcy, Delta also announced a 50% increase in operations at Los Angeles International Airport^[53], thus establishing Los Angeles as Delta's second West Coast hub and new potential Asian gateway with a total of 99 daily departures.

Post-bankruptcy

On May 10, 2007, Delta announced a partnership with US Helicopter, who provides service from John F. Kennedy International Airport to several helipads in downtown Manhattan.^[54]

On July 12, 2007, Delta and its SkyTeam partners announced that they would forfeit slots in the European Union to relieve antitrust concerns.^[55]

On August 21, 2007, Delta named Richard Anderson, former CEO of Northwest Airlines and executive at UnitedHealth Group, as a replacement for outgoing CEO Gerald Grinstein. Anderson assumed the post on September 1.^[56]

On November 14, 2007, Pardus Capital Management LP, a hedge fund that owns 7 million shares of Delta and 5.6 million shares of United, called for the two carriers to merge. This action sent shares of both airlines up. However, the two airlines quickly denied official talks of any merger.^{[57] [58] [59]}

Hub history

Former hubs:

• Chicago O'Hare International Airport - Delta, until the early 1990s, operated a small hub at Chicago. It served thirteen non-stop destinations from its new Delta Flight Center, which opened in the summer of 1984. During this time Delta also maintained a flight attendant base in Chicago.
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport - Delta at one time operated over 200 flights a day from DFW. At times, it was Delta's second largest hub. Delta closed the hub in February 2005.
• Frankfurt International Airport - Delta's Frankfurt hub was acquired from Pan Am. Delta dismantled the hub in 1997.
• Los Angeles International Airport - Delta has under 50 flights per day from LAX and has a market share of 7.7%, which is a distant fourth behind United Airlines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. Delta had planned to make LAX a major hub, but those plans have since been reduced to just a focus city as Delta has significantly reduced the destinations served from the airport due to the 2008 energy crisis. ^[60]

Former secondary hubs:^[61]

• Memphis International Airport - MEM was a mini-hub in conjunction with regional carrier ASA. This operation ended in the mid-80's when competition became too stiff with Republic Airlines and ASA shifted its aircraft to Delta's Dallas hub. As Republic was later merged into Northwest, Delta will once again have a hub operation here due to the Delta-Northwest merger.
• Portland International Airport - Portland, Oregon (PDX) was at one time Delta's premier Asian gateway. It was closed in 2001, further described in the 'route eliminations' section of this article.

Focus City history

Former focus cities:^[62]

• Boston Logan International Airport - demoted 2008
• Port Columbus International Airport - demoted
• Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport - demoted 2007
• Los Angeles International Airport (former secondary hub) - demoted 2008
• New York LaGuardia Airport - demoted 2008
• Orlando International Airport - demoted 2008
• Tampa International Airport - demoted 2007

Personnel

Between its mainline operation and subsidiaries, Delta employs approximately 75,000 people.

Delta's approximately 6,600 pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). The union has represented Delta pilots since 1940.^[63] Pilot domiciles are located in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, New York City, and Salt Lake City.

The company's approximately 180 flight dispatchers are represented by the Professional Airline Flight Control Association (PAFCA).

The rest of Delta's workforce, in contrast to other legacy air carriers, is nonunion.

On March 18, 2008, Delta announced that it was offering voluntary severance payouts for up to 30,000 employees (though the target headcount reduction is significantly less than that), and that it would cut domestic capacity by 5%.^[64]

Destinations

Further information: Delta Air Lines destinations

• Delta serves 461 world-wide destinations in 96 countries. />

• Delta operates 1,534 flights per day. Delta Connection has 2,533 daily flights. Delts, Delta Connection, and other flights from the SkyTeam Alliance partners have 6,795 daily flights.^[65]

Significant past route eliminations

Airline routes occasionally change as the public's travel patterns change and if a route becomes unprofitable. Although Delta serves the most destinations of any US airline, it has also eliminated more destinations than any major US airline. Some routes that have been eliminated include:

• Delta served several cities in Asia, including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul (Resumed from Atlanta), and Taipei, from Portland and Los Angeles, using L1011s with stops in Anchorage for refueling. They also at one time served Ketchikan Alaska.

• With Delta's acquisition of Pan Am's Frankfurt hub, a number of new routes started to the city, including San Francisco, Orlando, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. (Dulles), and Dallas-Fort Worth. The hub at Frankfurt would eventually be closed.

• Services between medium sized cities in the Southeastern United States to the Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth hubs have been superseded by nonstop Delta Connection service to the hub cities. Discontinued services have included Shreveport-Monroe and Birmingham-Jackson, Mississippi.

• Closure of the Dallas-Fort Worth hub, created after Braniff Airlines ceased operations in 1982, in 2005.

• Closure of gateway facilities in Portland, Oregon (PDX) including a cargo facility, which served Delta destinations in Asia.

• Expansion of Western Airlines' Los Angeles hub service after acquisition of that airline, including the starting of a Tokyo-Los Angeles route using the then-new MD-11 aircraft. After 2000 flights were significantly reduced including elimination of Tokyo-Los Angeles. In 2006/2007, Delta started adding new routes out of LAX through its connection carriers, signaling a build up of LAX again. Most of the routes added have since been eliminated in 2008. Delta went from a high of 48 destinations at LAX to just 34, ending the build up and confirming Delta's presence at LAX as a focus city.

• Delta acquired several routes to Honolulu (HNL) with the purchase of Western Airlines. These services from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City operated initially on Western's DC-10 aircraft, and later on the L-1011 and 767-400 including a nonstop from Atlanta. In 2007 Delta eliminated the San Francisco-Honolulu route and withdrew some 767-400 service Los Angeles-Honolulu in favor of smaller aircraft.

New Routes and Destinations

Delta announced several significant international expansions:

Fleet

Further information: Delta Air Lines fleet

Delta Air Lines has an all-Boeing (including McDonnell Douglas aircraft) fleet. Delta was one of the last major airlines to operate the original Boeing 737-200 models, until the last of these aircraft retired in 2006. Delta has the largest fleets of Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 aircraft of any airline. It is the second largest operator of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 (behind American Airlines).

The Delta Air Lines fleet consists of the following aircraft and orders:

Delta's average fleet age is 14.0 years as of April 2008. Boeing reports 96 737-800s have been delivered. ^[73] Delta plans to sell all but 2 of its ordered 737-800's immediately upon delivery.^[74]

Delta Air Lines was one of three carriers (American Airlines and Continental Airlines being the other two) to sign an exclusivity agreement with Boeing in the late 1990s. When Boeing acquired McDonnell Douglas, the European Union forced Boeing to void the contracts. However, both parties have been adhering to the terms under a gentlemen's agreement; thus Delta operates no Airbus equipment.

Delta will become the North American launch customer for the Boeing 787 due to its merger with Northwest. Delta has made bids to become Boeing's provider for 787 maintenance through Boeing's GoldCare support program.^[75]

After the merger with Northwest, Delta will have 57 Airbus A319-100s (5 Orders), 70 Airbus A320-200s (2 Orders), 11 Airbus A330-200s, 21 Airbus A330-300s, 50 additional Boeing 757-200s, 16 Boeing 757-300s, 16 Boeing 747-400s, and 67 McDonnell Douglas DC-9s. Northwest currently has 18 Boeing 787-8 on orders which will be used by Delta. Delta will also take possession of 11 Boeing 747 freighters.^[76]

Retired fleet

*Delta operated the DC-10 twice, once on lease from United before the L-1011s could be delivered, and again when Delta acquired Western Airlines in 1987.

**Delta experimented with Airbus A310 aircraft for two to three years after acquiring the planes from Pan Am. Initially Delta was impressed enough with the aircraft to order more of the same model, but these too were eventually withdrawn from service by the mid 1990s.

Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines are the only surviving U.S. airlines that operated the Convair 880, still the fastest family of subsonic passenger aircraft ever, and only behind supersonic carriers such as the Concorde and the Tu-144 in speed.

Delta sold several DC-9-30s to ValuJet, forming ValuJet's initial fleet. ValuJet would eventually become Delta's main Atlanta-based rival, AirTran Airways.

Fleet prior to the jet era

Up until the late 1960s, Delta Air Lines operated a fleet of propeller operated aircraft, including among others, the Convair 340, Convair 440, Curtiss C-46 Commando, Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-4, Douglas DC-6, Douglas DC-7, Fairchild Hiller FH-227, Lockheed Constellation, and Lockheed L-100 Hercules. The Curtiss C-46 Commando and Lockheed L-100 Hercules aircraft were operated as cargo aircraft.

Cabin

The interior of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800 with in-flight entertainment and slimline seats.

On May 1, 2006, the carrier adopted new uniforms from designer Richard Tyler.

Delta started the industry's first comprehensive in-flight recycling program on July 1, 2007. The initial program involved all domestic in-bound flights to its Atlanta hub, and has since expanded to domestic in-bound flights arriving at New York (JFK), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG), Salt Lake City (SLC), Portland (PDX) and Seattle (SEA) (Federal regulations require the incineration of international waste).

Wi-Fi

On August 5, 2008, Delta announced it will be installing the Aircell mobile broadband network, Gogo. This system will allow customers traveling with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, to access the Internet, corporate VPNs, corporate and personal e-mail accounts, as well as SMS texting and instant messaging services.

Gogo will be available for $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours.

Gogo will be offered initially on Delta's fleet of 133 MD88/90 aircraft and will expand to the remaining domestic fleet of Boeing 737, 757 and 767-300 aircraft throughout the first half of 2009. It is expected that more than 330 aircraft will have internet access by Summer 2009.^[79]

In-flight entertainment

In the beginning of the jet age when aircraft such as the deHavilland Comet IV and Boeing 707 were introduced, in-flight entertainment other than lounges and magazines was non-existent. Later in the 1960s, audio programming was introduced where passenger wore headphones consisting of hollow tubes piping in music. These were installed in some Delta aircraft. Some early wide-bodied aircraft, including the L-1011 fleet, had films projected on to the cabin bulkhead. The film projection system on the L-1011s were replaced by CRT-based projectors in the early 1990s. Also during the same time period, CRT monitors over the aisles were added to the 757 fleet. The MD-90 introduced Delta's first IFE system with LCD monitors in 1995, and the 777 introduced Delta's first in-seat video system in 1999, initially using the Rockwell Collins Total Entertainment System. Delta's first all-digital IFE system with AVOD (Panasonic eFX) was first introduced in 2003 on Delta's former low-cost subsidiary, Song. The Rockwell Collins IFE system on the 777s was replaced by the Panasonic eFX system in 2007. The Panasonic eFX system is trademarked by Delta as Delta on Demand.

Audio and video are available on all aircraft except for the MD-88s and Delta Connection aircraft. BusinessElite on all aircraft except the 777-200LR uses the all-digital Panasonic eFX AVOD system. 48 Boeing 757s (Transcontinental 752), also using the Panasonic eFX system, feature live television via Dish Network in both first class and economy, while the remainder of the 757 fleet features ceiling-mounted CRT displays over the aisles. The Panasonic eFX with live satellite television has been installed on several aircraft in addition to the 48 757s already featuring the system, including 28 of the 737-800s, and all 21 domestic 767-300s. It is also featured on Delta's 737-700s, which entered service in August 2008. Delta's new 777-200LR aircraft feature the Panasonic eX2 system, which has a greater storage capacity over the eFX.^[80] The personal video screens on the 777-200LRs are also larger than those on Delta's other aircraft.

In economy class, Panasonic eFX system (without the satellite TV product) is also found on the 777-200ER and international 767-400ER fleet. The domestic 767-400ER fleet features the Rockwell Collins TES system, but only features in-seat video (non-AVOD) in the first class section of the aircraft; the economy class section only features LCDs over the aisles. As the 767-400ER fleet is gradually converted to international duties, the Rockwell Collins TES system will be phased out in favor of the Panasonic eFX system with in-seat video and AVOD in both economy class and BusinessElite.

Delta's 767-300 fleet (both domestic and international) originally featured CRT projectors in economy class, with the international 767-300ERs also featuring ceiling-mounted CRT displays over the aisles. The projectors and CRTs international 767-300ER fleet are in the process of being replaced by LCD displays, while the domestic 767-300 fleet has entirely been upgraded to the Panasonic eFX system with AVOD and live satellite television. The 737-800 (except those with winglets) and MD-90 fleet feature drop-down LCD displays below the overhead bins, while the wingleted 737-800 fleet has been upgraded to the Panasonic eFX AVOD/live satellite TV system.

When Delta's ex-TWA ETOPS 757s were first delivered, they featured a system made by Sony Transcom (a former subsidiary of Sony now sold to Rockwell Collins) system that was factory installed for TWA. The system features overhead drop-down LCD monitors similar to Delta's non-wingleted 737-800s and MD-90s. Delta replaced the Sony Transcom system with the Panasonic eFX system featuring in-seat video and AVOD at the same time as the new BusinessElite seats and slimline economy class seats were installed.^[81]

BusinessElite

BusinessElite is Delta's international business class, available on the Boeing 767-300ER, 777-200ER, 777-200LR, and select (eventually all) 767-400ER aircraft. It is also being introduced on the ex-AA/TWA ETOPS 757-200 aircraft. All BusinessElite seats (made by B/E Aerospace) on Delta's 767-300ER, 767-400ER, and 777-200ER have 60 inches of pitch, 160 degrees of recline, and either 18.5 (767) or 21 (777-200ER) inches of width. Passengers in the BusinessElite cabin receive free meals, refreshments, alcohol and an amenity kit. All seats are equipped with a personal, on demand In-Flight-Entertainment (IFE) system, universal power-ports, a moveable reading light, and a folding work table. On the ex-TWA/AA ETOPS 757s, a similar model of BusinessElite seat was introduced in 2008. These seats are made by Recaro and feature a built-in massage feature, 55 inches of pitch and are 20 inches wide.

On March 27, 2007, Delta announced that it will convert its entire 767-400ER fleet to an international configuration, featuring a BusinessElite cabin. During the summer of 2007, 8 out of the 21 767-400ER aircraft were convereted and an additional 6 767-400ER aircraft were converted between December 2007 and May 2008.

Delta introduced full-flat sleeper suites made by Contour Premium in its 777-200LR fleet upon delivery and will retrofit its 777-200ER fleet with the Contour full-flat product by 2010.^[82]

On February 5, 2008, Delta has also announced that they will be installing a sleeper suite product on the 767-400ER aircraft.^[83] Designed by Thompson Solutions and manufactured by Contour Premium, these sleeper suites use a space-saving design, with the bottom ends of the seats extending under the armrests of the suites in front when in the full horizontal flat bed position. This allows for minimal reduction in capacity compared to most other sleeper suite products, particularly with the 767's narrower fuselage. The suites will be arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, with a total capacity of 40 BusinessElite suites (down from 42). On November 3, 2009, Delta has announced that the 767-300ER fleet will also get the same sleeper suite product that will be first introduced on the 767-400ER fleet^[84].

Domestic First Class

First Class is offered on domestic flights. It is available on Boeing 737-800, 757-200, MD-88, MD-90, and domestic 767-300 and 767-400 aircraft. Seats range from 18.5-20.75 inches wide, and have between 37-40 inches of pitch. Passengers aboard this class receive free meals, drinks, and alcohol. All domestically-configured 767-400, wingleted 737-800s, and (Transcon) 757-200 aircraft have power-ports at each seat. Delta intends on replacing First Class with BusinessElite on all 767-400 aircraft.

When the ex-AA/TWA ETOPS 757s were first delivered, they initially featured 22 domestic First Class seats that were originally installed by TWA. On international routes, the aircraft were sold entirely as Economy class. All of the ETOPS 757s now feature the new Recaro BusinessElite seats.

International Economy Class

Economy Class is available on all international flights. Seats range from 17 to 18 inches wide, and have between 31 and 33 inches of pitch. A few of the newest 767-300ER and all 767-400ER, 777-200ER, and 777-200LR aircraft feature economy class seats with moveable headrests. The economy class seats on the 777-200ERs also feature mechanically adjustable lumbar support. The economy seats on the 777-200LRs are the new Weber 5751 model slimline seats. These seats are better contoured than the seats on the 777-200ERs and 767-400ERs, allowing for greater passenger comfort, however, they do not feature adjustable lumbar support. The ex-TWA ETOPS 757s feature new Weber slimline seats, except without moveable headrests. Economy Class passengers receive free meals with one alcoholic beverage, refreshments, as well as a mid-flight snack. Additional alcohol may be purchased for $7.

Starting in 2010, Delta will be installing new staggered Cozy Suite seats from Thompson Solutions on their international 767 and 777 fleet.^[85] These seats are arranged diagonally and feature padded sides for a comfortable resting position. These seats also feature a unique recline mechanism where the seat bottom moves down and forward instead of the seat back tilting backwards, thus resulting in more room for passengers behind when the seat is reclined. Due to their diagonal layout, these seats will also allow Delta to increase capacity on their widebody aircraft without significantly reducing seat width. The seats will be in a diagonal 2-4-2 layout on the 767s, and a diagonal 3-4-3 layout on the 777s.

Domestic Economy Class

Economy Class is available on all domestic flights. Seats range from 17 to 17.5 inches wide, and have between 30 and 33 inches of pitch. Passengers aboard this class receive free drinks and snacks. As part of Delta's EATS buy on board program, food is available for purchase on all flights 1,500 miles or more (some flights to Hawaii and Alaska continue to receive complimentary meal service^[86]). Alcohol may also be purchased for $7.00. Domestically-configured 767-400 aircraft feature in-seat EmPower. The domestic 767-400 fleet also features seats with moveable headrests, making them the only domestic aircraft in Delta's fleet to feature this amenity. The 737-800 and domestic 767-300 fleet have recently been refitted with new Weber slimline seats allowing for greater capacity while maintaining sufficient legroom. Unlike the slimline seats on the 777-200LRs, the new seats on the 737-700s, 800s, and domestic 767-300s do not feature moveable headrests.

Delta operated a previous buy on board starting in 2003 and ending by 2005.^[87][88]

SkyMiles

SkyMiles is Delta's frequent flyer program. Created in 1981^[89] as the "Frequent Flyer Program"; its name was changed to SkyMiles in 1995. When the frequent flyer program was first established in 1981, new members were awarded an enrollment bonus of 10,000 miles. In 2006, SkyMiles was picked as the "best frequent flyer program" in the Best in Business Travel Awards.

In addition to its Delta Connection, Delta Shuttle and SkyTeam alliance partnerships, Delta offers frequent flyer partnerships with the following airlines:

On May 1, 1995, Delta Air Lines modified its frequent flyer program, previously called "Delta Air Lines Frequent Flyer Program" and renamed it "SkyMiles". Miles from the old program would never expire but newly earned miles in the SkyMiles program would if there was no account activity for three years. However, effective January 1, 2007, the rules for SkyMile accounts changed, with miles expiring after two years of no activity. At the same time, the old Frequent Flyer program miles were combined into SkyMiles, effectively negating their unlimited shelf-life.

On July 31, 2008, Delta adjusted the cost of award tickets by implementing a three-tier system that will cost last-minute fliers 60,000 miles for a domestic coach ticket.^[91]

Crown Room Club

Delta's airport lounge is the Crown Room Club. Delta Crown Room Clubs are located in 27 airports. Membership can be obtained via an annual pass (purchased using money or SkyMiles) or purchasing a single-visit pass.

Membership benefits vary by location, but generally include free drinks (including alcoholic beverages) and reading material. Wi-Fi is not complimentary. It is mostly provided by T-Mobile. Other benefits for Crown Room Club members include reciprocal lounge access with other SkyTeam members and Delta's other partners. Some select Crown Room Clubs feature putting greens as a result of Delta Air Lines being the official airline of the PGA Tour.

Codeshare agreements

Delta Air Lines and Alaska Air Group announced with "Group" "CEO Bill Ayer to amend their marketing agreement" to make Alaska Airlines and Horizon Airlines the "preferred alliance partners on the West Coast." [5][6] Delta Air Lines also has codeshare agreements with the following airlines as of August 2008:^[92]
(This list does not include SkyTeam airlines)

• American Eagle
• Avianca
• China Airlines
• Royal Air Maroc

Advertising

Delta has had several different slogans throughout its history:

• In 1940, Delta adopted the slogan: "Airline of the South".
• In 1961, Delta adopted the slogan: "The Air Line with the Big Jets".
• In 1966, with the introduction of the first Series 61 DC-8, Delta adopted the slogan "Fly big to Florida... Fly Delta!". Bob Hope, known in ads as Bob "Super DC-8" Hope, was Delta's spokesperson at the time.
• In 1968, Delta adopted the slogan: "Delta is ready when you are".
• In 1972, Delta adopted the slogan: "Fly the best with Delta".
• In 1976, Delta adopted the slogan: "Celebrate the Bicentennial with Delta".
• In 1980, Delta adopted the slogan: "Delta is the Best".
• In the interim period between 1984 and 1986 Delta adopted the slogan: "Delta gets you there with care".
• In 1986, Delta became: "The Official Airline of Walt Disney World".
• In 1987, Delta adopted the slogan: "The Best Get Better", reflective of the airline's merger with Western Airlines.
• In 1987, Delta adopted the slogan: "We Love To Fly, And It Shows".
• In 1989, Delta became: "The Official Airline of Disneyland and Walt Disney World".
• In 1991, Delta adopted the slogan: "Delta is your choice for flying."
• In 1994, Delta adopted the slogan: "You'll love the way we fly".
• In 1996, Delta adopted the slogan: "On top of the world". This slogan was launched at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, for which Delta was the official airline.
• In 2000, Delta adopted the slogan: "Fly___", in which the blank was filled in according to the context of the slogan's usage. For example, on the airline's cocktail napkins, the slogan was "Fly 'refreshed'". For luggage tags, the slogan read "Fly 'for business'" or "Fly 'me home'".
• Immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Delta adopted the slogan, "Delta remembers America".
• In 2004, Delta adopted a marketing scheme using "Secret Places - ___", in which the blank was filled in according to the picture being used in the advertisement (and coinciding with a major Delta destination). Several examples of this marketing remain in place on jetways and in gate waiting areas in Atlanta and New York-JFK.
• In 2005, Delta adopted the slogan: "Good Goes Around"^[93]
• In 2007, Delta Air Lines exited bankruptcy; to highlight surrounding changes, the airline chose "Change Is:__________" (in which the blank was filled according to the context of the slogan's usage) as its slogan. Other advertisements used the tagline "Change Is: Delta" in a play on the use of the Greek letter delta to denote the difference operator in mathematics.
• In 2008, as part of the rebranding project and not a traditional advertising campaign, a new safety video featuring a flight attendant premiered on YouTube in early 2008 garnering over 1 million views and the attention of news outlets, specifically for the video's camp and cheek tones mixed with the serious safety message. The flight attendant, Katherine Lee, has been dubbed "Deltalina" by the media for her similar appearance to movie star Angelina Jolie. ^{[94] [95] [96] [97]}
• In 2008, after the completion of the merger with Northwest Airlines, the airline adopted the slogan "One Great Airline"

Karl Jenkins' Adiemus project began in 1994 as a music project for Delta Air Lines' European advertising campaign. The song was later released on the albums Pure Moods and Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary, and was also used in Delta's commercials in the United States from 1996 until 1999.

Delta awards the annual Delta Prize for Global Understanding in conjunction with the University of Georgia.^[98]

Incidents and accidents

The following are major incidents and accidents that occurred on Delta Air Lines mainline aircraft. For Delta Connection incidents, see Delta Connection incidents and accidents.

Hijackings

There have been over a dozen attempted hijackings which resulted in no injuries and the surrender of the often lone hijacker. These incidents are not included. The following are notable hijackings because of fatalities or success in forcing the aircraft to fly to another country

• In 1968, a Delta DC-8 was hijacked to Havana, Cuba. This was the first successful hijacking to Cuba from the U.S. since 1961^[101], and was the start of multiple hijacking attempts to Cuba in the late 1960s. This coincided with the introduction of passenger screening using metal detectors in U.S. airports starting in the late 1960s.

• Additional hijackings which resulted in no injuries and the flight landing in Cuba include March 28, 1984 (Delta 357 New Orleans-Dallas 727),^[102] August 18, 1983 (Delta 784 Miami-Tampa 727),^[103] July 17, 1983 (Delta 722 Miami-Tampa 727),^[104] June 11, 1979 (Delta 1061 New York LaGuardia-Fort Lauderdale L1011)^[105]

• July 31, 1972, a Delta flight 841, a Detroit to Miami DC-8 flight, was hijacked to Algiers, Algeria by 8 hijackers. The aircraft stopped in Boston to pick up an international navigator, who was wearing only swimming trunks and a shirt. The flight was allowed to return with passengers to the U.S., stopping in Barcelona for refueling.^[106][107]

• On February 22, 1974, Samuel Byck, an unemployed tire salesman from Pennsylvania, stormed aboard a Delta Air Lines Flight 523, DC-9 flight at Baltimore Friendship Airport (now Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport) scheduled to fly to Atlanta and shot both pilots, killing the First Officer, Fred Jones. He intended to crash the plane into the White House.^[108] After shooting the pilots, the hijacker grabbed a passenger and demanded that she fly the aircraft.^[109]

• On August 23, 1980, a Delta Air Lines L-1011 on a San Juan to Los Angeles flight was hijacked to Cuba.^[110] The hijacker was jailed by Cuban authorities, and all passengers were released unharmed.

• On September 13, 1980, a Delta Air Lines New Orleans to Atlanta flight was taken over by two hijackers and forced to fly to Cuba. The flight continued to Atlanta after stopping in Havana.^[111] The hijackers were imprisoned by Cuban authorities. One hijacker was released and later sought US residency. The suspect was later arrested by US authorities in 2002^[112] and sentenced to prison the following year.

References

http://www.delta.com/about_delta/corporate_information/delta_stats_facts/index.jsp - Retrieved on 2008-12-5

External links

• Official site
• Delta's official blog
• Delta's official YouTube channel
• Delta Air Lines Fleet Age
• Delta Air Lines Route Maps
• Delta Air Lines Seat Maps
• Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum
• Delta Cargo
• Delta DASH
• Sky, Delta's inflight magazine
• Delta Air Lines History
• High quality images of historic Delta Timetables
• Delta Company Analysis

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