• Delta unveils plane dedicated to world’s best employees; more than 90,000 employee names form the words “thank you” on the aircraft livery.
• Record payment comes on same day airline announces $1 billion sustainability investment.

Delta Air Lines today will pay out more than $1 billion in profit sharing, celebrating the outstanding accomplishments made possible by its employees around the world. The $1.6 billion profit sharing pool – a record for a U.S.-based company – translates to a 16.7 percent payout for eligible employees.

“Delta would be nothing without our 90,000 people worldwide,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “They deserve all the credit for our success, and we are proud to recognize their extraordinary work with a $1.6 billion payout – marking the sixth year in a row that Delta’s profit sharing has exceeded $1 billion.”

The airline has paid more than $6.5 billion in profits directly to its employees over the past five years – a milestone no other company has ever achieved.

“We’re often asked what sets Delta apart, and the answer is simple: our people,” said Joanne Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. “That’s why profit sharing is one of the most important days of the year. It’s all about Delta people sharing in the success they make possible through hard work and a focus on our customers.”

Thank you to the world’s best employees and customers

At a profit sharing celebration this morning in the airline’s hometown of Atlanta, Delta leaders unveiled another symbol of the company’s appreciation: a custom aircraft livery featuring all 90,000 employee names, alongside a message that the aircraft is “dedicated to the world’s best employees and customers.”

The custom “thank you” message featured on this Airbus A321 aircraft was designed, produced and installed in-house by Delta people. The process – which involved 48 custom decal panels – took more than a week to complete at the Delta TechOps print shop and hangar in Atlanta.

For Joel Freeland, a TechOps painter who worked on the project, the aircraft is particularly meaningful.

“It’s so wonderful to get to do a project like this,” said Freeland. “The idea was conceived within Delta, and all the employees working together have made it a reality.”

Taking care of Delta people, customers and the world around us

Delta remains committed to its promise to take care of its employees, customers and the world which we all share. As part of this, Delta also announced today a $1 billion investment to advance sustainability in air travel and become the first carbon neutral airline globally.

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Delta’s $1.6 billion in profit sharing paid to employees this week – a record for a U.S.-based company – will have an even bigger impact on local communities than the already sizeable number suggests.

“Profit sharing by corporations is one of the best ways to help a local economy,” said Emory University economist Jeff Rosensweig. “Although some of these increments to income will be saved or spent outside of the local economy, much of it will be plowed into increased purchases from local businesses.”

That spending has an outsized impact because of what economists call “the multiplier effect.”

Rosensweig, professor at Goizueta Business School of Emory University and Director of the John Robson Program for Business, Public Policy, and Government, explained the concept:

“In the ‘multiplier effect,’ the increased income earned by people selling goods and services purchased by Delta employees with their profit sharing payouts is, in turn, spent partly on local products. Then, the people who sell those products will start a third round of spending, and so on.”

Take metro Atlanta, where Delta employs its largest employee population. Delta will pay those employees a total of $571 million this week, and the overall economic impact will be greater than $1.2 billion because the multiplier effect ranges from a factor of 2.2 and 2.5, Rosensweig said.

Profit sharing is paid to eligible employees worldwide, and this year’s payout translates to 16.7 percent of annual pay. The overall payout of $1.6 billion reflects a 26% increase over last year’s $1.3 billion.

As an added benefit of pumping more money into the economy, businesses are more able to hire and retain employees. The payout in Atlanta supports the creation of about 5,000 full- and part-time jobs outside of Delta, Rosensweig said.

Delta’s diverse workforce includes a mix of office and frontline employees, boosting the economic power of workers across all demographics.

“Given that many Delta employees live and work in diverse communities like Atlanta, Detroit, New York and Los Angeles, a significant amount of their spending will boost minority and women-owned businesses,” Rosensweig noted.

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Delta Air Lines has made this announcement:

• 10-year commitment to mitigate all emissions from March 2020 forward
• Strategy will mitigate emissions across Delta’s business globally – in the air and on the ground
• Efforts will drive innovation, clean air tech, emissions and waste reduction

Starting March 1, 2020, Delta Air Lines is committing $1 billion over the next 10 years on its journey to mitigate all emissions from its global business going forward. The airline will invest in driving innovation, advancing clean air travel technologies, accelerating the reduction of carbon emissions and waste, and establishing new projects to mitigate the balance of emissions.

“There is no substitute for the power that travel has to connect people, which our world needs today more than ever before. As we connect customers around the globe, it is our responsibility to deliver on our promise to bring people together and ensure the utmost care for our environment,” said Ed Bastian, Delta’s CEO. “The time is now to accelerate our investments and establish an ambitious commitment that the entire Delta team will deliver.”

See video comments from Ed Bastian about this announcement on LinkedIn

Delta’s approach to tackling carbon reduction and sustainability reflects the focus and rigor it has become known for, and that it used to build a financially secure airline. This announcement comes as Delta pays $1.6 billion in profit sharing to employeesthis Valentine’s Day, and reflects its longstanding approach to placing a high value on supporting all stakeholders and communities worldwide.

“There’s no challenge we face that is in greater need of innovation than environmental sustainability, and we know there is no single solution. We are digging deep into the issues, examining every corner of our business, engaging experts, building coalitions, fostering partnerships and driving innovation,” Bastian said. “We are on a journey, and though we don’t have all the answers today, we know that our scale, along with investments of time, talent and resources will bring meaningful impact to the planet and ensure the sustainability of our business for decades to come.”

The aviation industry accounts for roughly 2 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Delta’s carbon footprint is its largest environmental impact, with 98 percent of emissions coming from its aircraft. Here is how the company is focusing its efforts to become carbon neutral:

• Carbon reduction: Reducing Delta’s carbon footprint through enterprise-wide efforts to decrease the use of jet fuel and increase efficiency. Areas of focus include an ambitious fleet renewal program, improved flight operations, weight reduction, and increased development and use of sustainable aviation fuels.
• Carbon removal: Investing in innovative projects and technology to remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere that go beyond the airline’s current commitments, and investigating carbon removal opportunities through forestry, wetland restoration, grassland conservation, marine and soil capture, and other negative emissions technologies.
• Stakeholder engagement: Building coalitions with our employees, suppliers, global partners, customers, industry colleagues, investors and other stakeholders to advance carbon reduction and removal goals and maximize our global impact.

“When customers choose to fly Delta, they should feel they’re making a statement about taking care of our planet,” Bastian said. “Our commitment to carbon neutrality means flying with Delta represents far more than a great travel experience – it’s about joining arms to create a better world.”

Delta’s carbon strategy will account for emissions across its business – both in the air and on the ground. Delta’s investment will create new projects and methods to reduce its carbon footprint, benefit global communities and make it easier for other organizations to explore similar options to address their own carbon footprints – all while minimizing reliance on today’s limited carbon offset markets. To support this strategy, Delta will allocate some of its financial commitment into investment vehicles, including a dedicated fund focused on achieving its carbon neutral ambition.

Delta’s journey to carbon neutrality and its $1 billion investment build on its industry-leading voluntary sustainability efforts.

The Delta Environmental Sustainability Principles will guide the airline’s efforts to advance its path to carbon neutrality and overall sustainability. They are:

• Action – Make progress continually by leveraging the tools of today even as we work to drive progress on a global scale. Embed environmental impact as a consideration in every business decision.
• Innovation – Investigate, enable and advance new projects, innovative technologies and operational efficiencies to substantially reduce and mitigate emissions and our overall environmental footprint.
• Collaboration – Engage with employees, suppliers, global partners, customers, investors and other stakeholders with the understanding that environmental protection must be a shared goal.
• Evolution – Be nimble in evolving and adjusting in response to the latest scientific findings and technological developments.
• Transparency – Continue to publicly report on our goals and progress, aligned with leading disclosure frameworks and standards, and track efforts and achievements through our robust governance structure.

2020 will see a number of milestones that demonstrate Delta’s progress and commitment, and that Delta will share broadly as each of them launch. Powered by its 90,000 people around the world, Delta is the U.S. global airline leader in products, services, innovation, reliability and customer experience.

From being the first and only U.S. airline to voluntarily cap greenhouse gas emissions at 2012 levels, to adding more than 80 new aircraft in 2019 in an effort to renew its fleet with aircraft that are 25 percent more fuel efficient than the aircraft they are replacing, Delta has been undertaking a multi-year effort to achieve more sustainable air travel. As part of its commitment, Delta has partnered with industry innovators to advance the development and production of sustainable aviation fuels, including its recent partnership and offtake agreements with Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels and Gevo. The airline also has partnered with the international advocacy organization Global Citizen on Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream event, to help reach United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on sustainability, gender equality and human capital.