History of Delta Air Lines in Timeline

Delta Air Lines is a major U.S. airline headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Operating from nine hubs, with its largest hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta, along with its regional affiliates operating as Delta Connection, operates over 5,400 daily flights to 325 destinations in 52 countries across six continents. A founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, Delta is the oldest operating airline in the United States and the seventh oldest worldwide, contributing significantly to global air travel and transportation.

March 2, 1925: Huff Daland Dusters, Inc. Founded

On March 2, 1925, Huff Daland Dusters, Inc., the world's first aerial crop dusting operation, was founded in Macon, Georgia.

December 3, 1928: Delta Air Service Incorporated

On December 3, 1928, Delta Air Service was incorporated and named after the Mississippi Delta region.

June 17, 1929: Passenger Operations Begin

On June 17, 1929, Delta Air Service began passenger operations from Dallas, Texas, to Jackson, Mississippi, with stops at Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana.

June 1930: Service Extended

In June 1930, Delta's passenger service extended east to Atlanta and west to Fort Worth, Texas.

October 1930: Passenger Service Ceased

In October 1930, passenger service ceased when the airmail contract for the route Delta pioneered was awarded to another airline.

December 31, 1930: Delta Air Corporation Incorporated

On December 31, 1930, Delta Air Service's crop-dusting assets were purchased back, and the company was incorporated as Delta Air Corporation.

1934: Secured Airmail Contract

In 1934, Delta Air Corporation secured an airmail contract and began doing business as Delta Air Lines over Mail Route 24, stretching from Fort Worth, Texas, to Charleston, South Carolina.

1941: Headquarters Moved to Atlanta

In 1941, Delta moved its headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana, to its current location in Atlanta.

1945: Company Name Officially Changed

In 1945, the company name officially became Delta Air Lines.

1946: Commenced Freight Transport

In 1946, Delta commenced regularly scheduled freight transport.

1949: Launched Discounted Fares

In 1949, Delta launched the first discounted fares between Chicago and Miami.

1953: Launched First International Routes

In 1953, Delta launched its first international routes after the acquisition of Chicago and Southern Air Lines.

1959: First Airline to Fly Douglas DC-8

In 1959, Delta was the first airline to fly the Douglas DC-8.

1960: First Airline to Fly Convair 880 Jets

In 1960, Delta was the first airline to fly Convair 880 jets.

1964: Launched Deltamatic Reservation Systems

In 1964, Delta launched the Deltamatic reservation systems using computers in the IBM 7070 series.

1965: First Airline to Fly McDonnell Douglas DC-9

In 1965, Delta was the first airline to fly the McDonnell Douglas DC-9.

1970: All-Jet Fleet

By 1970, Delta had an all-jet fleet.

1972: Acquired Northeast Airlines

In 1972, Delta acquired Northeast Airlines.

1978: Began Trans-Atlantic Service

In 1978, Delta began trans-Atlantic service with the first nonstop flights from Atlanta to London.

1981: Launched Frequent-Flyer Program

In 1981, Delta launched a frequent-flyer program.

1987: Acquired Western Airlines and Began Trans-Pacific Service

In 1987, Delta acquired Western Airlines and began trans-Pacific service, flying from Atlanta to Portland, Oregon, to Tokyo.

1990: First Airline in U.S. to Fly McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Jets

In 1990, Delta was the first airline in the United States to fly McDonnell Douglas MD-11 jets.

1991: Acquired Pan Am's Trans-Atlantic Routes

In 1991, Delta acquired substantially all of Pan Am's trans-Atlantic routes and the Pan Am Shuttle, rebranded as the Delta Shuttle, becoming the leading airline across the Atlantic.

1997: Began Expansion of International Routes into Latin America

In 1997, Delta was the first airline to board more than 100 million passengers in a calendar year. Also that year, Delta began an expansion of its international routes into Latin America.

November 27, 2001: SkyBonus Program Launched

On November 27, 2001, Delta Air Lines launched SkyBonus, a program aimed toward small-to-medium businesses spending between $5,000 and $500,000 annually on air travel, where businesses can earn points toward free travel and upgrades.

July 2003: Buy-on-Board Program Started

In July 2003, Delta started a buy-on-board program on selected flights, initially offered on 400 flights, featuring items from differing providers, depending on the origin and destination of the flight, with prices ranging up to $10.

2003: Launched Song, a Low-Cost Carrier

In 2003, Delta launched Song, a low-cost carrier.

March 2005: Changes to Service

Beginning in mid-March 2005, Delta planned to stop providing pillows on flights within the 48 contiguous U.S. states, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, and Central America. In addition, the airline increased the price of alcoholic beverages on Delta mainline flights from $4 to $5; the increase in alcohol prices did not occur on Song flights.

September 14, 2005: Filed for Bankruptcy

On September 14, 2005, Delta filed for bankruptcy, citing rising fuel costs.

April 2007: Emerges from Bankruptcy

In April 2007, Delta emerged from bankruptcy after fending off a hostile takeover from US Airways, and its shares were re-listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

April 14, 2008: Announced Acquisition of Northwest Airlines

On April 14, 2008, the acquisition of Northwest Airlines by Delta was announced.

October 29, 2008: Acquisition Approved and Consummated

On October 29, 2008, Delta's acquisition of Northwest Airlines was approved and consummated.

December 31, 2009: Northwest Operating Certificate Merged

On December 31, 2009, the Northwest Airlines operating certificate was merged into that of Delta.

January 31, 2010: Completed Integration with Northwest

On January 31, 2010, Delta completed integration with Northwest when their computer reservations system and websites were combined, and the Northwest Airlines brand was officially retired.

2010: SkyBonus Program Merged

In early 2010, Delta Air Lines merged its SkyBonus program with Northwest's similar Biz Perks program.

2015: Cabin Branding Upgrade

In 2015, Delta underwent a cabin branding upgrade, with availability and exact details varying by route and aircraft type.

April 2016: Premium Economy Cabin Announced

In April 2016, Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced that a new Premium Economy cabin would be added, later renamed Premium Select, featuring extra legroom, adjustable leg rests, extra seat pitch, width, and recline, and a new premium service.

August 2016: Introduction of Delta One Suites Announced

In August 2016, Delta announced the introduction of Delta One Suites on select widebody fleets featuring enhanced privacy, improved storage space, a larger IFE screen, and an updated design.

July 2017: Delta One Suites Rollout on Airbus A350 Fleet

In July 2017, the Delta One Suites rolled out on the Airbus A350 fleet, which was first delivered that month.

2017: Introduction on Airbus A350

In 2017, Delta introduced Premium Select on its new Airbus A350.

October 2018: Selling First Class Seats as Premium Select

In October 2018, Delta announced that it would be selling first class seats on domestically configured Boeing 757 aircraft flying transatlantic routes as Premium Select.

December 21, 2018: Majority Ownership of DAL Global Services Sold

On December 21, 2018, Delta Air Lines sold majority ownership of DAL Global Services to Argenbright Holdings, dissolving the staffing division of DGS as part of the sale.

January 2019: Delta No Longer Offered Single-Day Passes

As of January 2019, Delta no longer offered single-day passes for the Sky Club.

July 2019: Airbus A330-900 features Delta One Suites and Retrofitting 767-400ER

In July 2019, Delta's Airbus A330-900 began revenue service featuring Delta One Suites. Also, Delta began retrofitting a new seat on the 767-400ER, which featured increased privacy and design similar to Delta One Suites, though without a privacy door.

2019: Premium Select on A330-900

In 2019, Delta's A330-900 also offered Premium Select.

December 2021: Basic Economy Update

As of December 2021, Basic Economy travelers no longer earn award miles or medallion qualifying miles.

2021: Retrofitting with Premium Select

In 2021, Delta began retrofitting many of its 767-300ER and older A330 aircraft with Premium Select.

December 31, 2021: Destinations and Countries Served

As of December 31, 2021, Delta's mainline aircraft fly to 242 destinations, serving 52 countries across six continents.

February 2024: New Premium Sky Club Lounge Announced

In February 2024, Delta announced a new, more exclusive or premium level of Sky Club lounge aimed at high-spending travellers, with the first at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, followed by those in Boston's Logan International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport later in the year. In addition to wellness areas, the lounge would offer a full-service brasserie and a marketplace influenced or assisted by a chef that would feature an open kitchen.

June 24, 2024: Delta Air Lines voted 2024 Best Airline in North America and Best Airline Staff Service in North America by Skytrax

On June 24, 2024, Delta Air Lines was voted 2024 Best Airline in North America and Best Airline Staff Service in North America by Skytrax.

July 23, 2024: DOT to investigate Delta's response to flight disruptions

On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that the Department of Transportation would be launching an investigation into the events that prevented Delta Air Lines from swiftly recovering from flight disruptions. The disruptions inconvenienced over 500,000 passengers and generated over 3,000 complaints.

November 26, 2024: Passenger stows away on flight to Paris

On November 26, 2024, a passenger without a boarding pass bypassed all security protocols and managed to stow aboard a flight from New York JFK airport to Paris.

December 2024: Delta's Employment Numbers

Between its mainline operation and subsidiaries, and as of December 2024, Delta employs nearly 103,000 people.

December 2024: Average Fleet Age

As of December 2024, Delta's average fleet age is 14.9 years.

2024: Ranked first in airline rankings and Readers’ Choice Awards

In 2024, Delta topped The Wall Street Journal's annual rankings of airlines and earned first place in the Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Airlines in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler.

2024: Exclusive Delta One Clubs Opening

In 2024, exclusive Delta One Clubs for customers travelling in business class are slated to open at New York–Kennedy, Los Angeles, and Boston.

2024: Daily Flights from Atlanta Hub

In the summer of 2024, Delta operated 893 daily flights out of its Atlanta main hub.

April 2025: Flights experience incidents with detaching ceiling panels

In April 2025, two Delta Air Lines flights experienced incidents in which ceiling panels detached mid-flight, injuring at least one passenger. The events occurred on a Boeing 757 and a Boeing 717, leading to scrutiny of Delta’s maintenance practices and the condition of its older aircraft.

May 2025: Delta's Fleet Size

As of May 2025, the Delta Air Lines fleet consists of 984 mainline aircraft, making it the third-largest commercial airline fleet in the world, manufactured by Airbus and Boeing.

2025: Service Upgrades Introduced

In 2025, Delta introduced several service upgrades, including free Wi-Fi access for SkyMiles members on most domestic flights, expanded Delta Sky Club lounge facilities, and new premium dining options featuring branded offerings such as Shake Shack.

2025: Fleet Expansion and New Routes

In the first quarter of 2025, Delta expanded its fleet with the addition of nine aircraft, including Airbus A321neo and A350-900 models. The airline also introduced new international routes, such as service from Atlanta to Marrakech, and resumed previously suspended routes, including New York–JFK to Tel Aviv.