Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Service, later known as Delta Air Lines, was founded as a crop-dusting operation in 1924. It eventually grew into a global airline serving over 275 destinations on six continents.

On March 2, 1925, Delta Air Lines was founded as Huff Daland Dusters, marking the world's first aerial crop-dusting company.

C.E. Woolman leads the movement to buy Huff Daland Dusters and renames it Delta Air Service for the Mississippi Delta region it served. The new airline is incorporated on Dec. 3, 1928.

On June 17, 1929, Delta Air Service departed from Dallas, Texas, and made scheduled stops at Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana, before landing at Jackson, Mississippi. This 427-mile flight took 5 hours and included a half-hour stop for lunch in Monroe. Delta pioneered this route, becoming the first airline to offer air service between Dallas and Jackson.

Delta Air Corporation was incorporated on December 31, 1930, and later adopted the name Delta Air Lines, Inc. It initially engaged in agricultural dusting operations and later progressed to transporting passengers and cargo throughout the United States and overseas.

On July 4, 1934, Delta Air Corporation started its first mail service using tri-motor Stinson Model T planes. This marked the beginning of Delta Air Lines' mail service, and passenger service resumed on August 5 with the name 'Delta Air Lines' painted on the sides of planes.

Delta contributes to the war effort by modifying over 1,000 aircraft, overhauling engines and instruments, and training Army pilots and mechanics.

In 1945, Delta Air Lines, Inc. was recognized by the National Safety Council for achieving more than 300 million passenger miles and 10 years of flight without a passenger or crew fatality. Woolman served as President and General Manager during this time. Additionally, Delta became the first airline to fly living vegetable plants, specifically 160,000 tomato plants.

C.E. Woolman was a key leader who played a significant role in the development and success of Delta Air Lines.

In 1953, Delta Air Lines merged with Chicago and Southern Air Lines, which brought Delta its first international routes to the Caribbean and Caracas. The airline operated under the name Delta-C&S for the next two years.

In 1955, Delta Air Lines pioneered the use of the hub and spoke system, where scheduled airplanes brought passengers to a hub airport for connecting to other Delta flights. Additionally, Delta won the Atlanta to New York route during this time.

In 1961, Delta made history by flying the first nonstop service from Atlanta to Los Angeles. This achievement marked a significant advancement in air travel, reducing travel time and providing passengers with more convenient flight options.

In 1966, Delta celebrated its 50th anniversary and introduced trans-Pacific service, marking a significant milestone in the airline's history. This expansion into trans-Pacific routes enhanced Delta's global presence.

In June 1967, Delta merged with Delaware Airlines and officially adopted the name Delta Air Lines, marking a significant milestone in its corporate history.

In 1970, Delta commenced its Boeing 747 service, introducing a new era in long-haul air travel for the airline.

In 1975, Delta became the first airline to offer its own air express service, introducing a high priority, guaranteed cargo service known as Delta Air Express.

Delta commenced its trans-Atlantic service in 1978 with the first nonstop flights from Atlanta to London, marking a significant expansion in its international operations.

In 1979, Delta celebrated its 50th year of service and expanded its global reach by commencing flights to Frankfurt, West Germany. Additionally, Delta achieved a significant milestone by being the first airline to board 1 million passengers in one city in one month.

On August 3, 1981, the Atlanta City Council approved the annexation of 141 acres of land, including the Delta headquarters. This led to a legal dispute between Delta and the city over the constitutionality of the annexation.

On April 1, 1987, Delta Air Lines merged with Western Airlines, becoming the fourth largest U.S. carrier and fifth largest in the world.

In 1995, Delta made history by becoming the first U.S. carrier to voluntarily ban smoking on all flights, setting a new standard for air travel and passenger health.

In 1997, Delta Airlines became the first airline to board more than 100 million passengers in a single year, marking a significant milestone in the airline industry.

Delta became the first airline to equip all its aircraft with automatic defibrillators in 1998, enhancing onboard medical emergency response capabilities.

In 2000, Delta partnered with AeroMéxico, Air France, and Korean Air to form SkyTeam, a global alliance, which later became the second largest airline alliance in the world.

The last Lockheed L-1011 (N728DA) was retired on 31 July 2001, concluding the era of the workhorse of Delta's international network, which was replaced with the Boeing 767–400.

Delta sought protection from its creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on 14 September 2005, with liabilities including some $28.27 billion of total debt.

Delta rejected US Airways Group's proposed merger and launched a media campaign against it, citing reasons such as worse customer service and possible layoffs.

Delta's creditors rejected US Airways' hostile takeover attempt, and US Airways withdrew its offer to buy Delta.

Delta defeats a hostile takeover attempt by US Airways and completes its restructuring plan ahead of schedule, emerging from bankruptcy on April 30 and relisting on the New York Stock Exchange on May 3. It also leads all network carriers in on-time performance for the year and announces a trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France.

On 21 August 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 1 September.

On 14 April 2008, Delta and Northwest Airlines announced their merger, creating the world's largest airline under the Delta name. The merger formed the largest commercial airline in the world, with 786 aircraft and an enterprise value of $17.7 billion. The agreement also included an extension of the collective bargaining agreement for Delta pilots.

On 7 August 2008, the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest received regulatory approval from the European Union, marking a significant milestone in the merger process.

On 29 October 2008, the United States Department of Justice approved the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest, further solidifying the merger's legal standing.

On 11 September 2009, Japan's NHK reported that Japan Airlines (JAL) was seriously considering allowing Delta to become a majority shareholder, aiming to expand Delta's Tokyo hub operations at Narita International Airport after the merger with Northwest.

On 4 January 2010, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that JAL and the Japanese government-backed Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan would likely choose to form a business and capital tie-up with Delta, and that JAL would enter the SkyTeam alliance as part of the deal.

Yomiuri reported, on 16 January 2010, that Delta had reached an agreement with JAL on a tie-up consisting mostly of code-sharing flight services. JAL and Delta intended to sign the agreement after JAL's bankruptcy protection proceedings began, and both airlines would apply for antitrust immunity with the United States Department of Transportation.

Delta acquires a 49 percent stake in U.K. airline Virgin Atlantic, forming a partnership that enhances Delta's access to the important London and trans-Atlantic markets.

In 2015, Delta Airlines acquired a 3.5% stake in China Eastern, expanding its presence and customer choice in Asia's largest market, marking a significant strategic move for the airline.

In September 2017, Delta flight 431 from San Juan to New York's JFK became famous for fleeing Category 5 Hurricane Irma just before it made landfall on the island of Puerto Rico, showcasing the airline's commitment to passenger safety.

In September 2019, Delta announced a partnership with LATAM Airlines Group, acquiring a 20% share in LATAM for $1.9 billion and investing $350 million in the partnership to help LATAM unwind its ties with Oneworld, reshaping the competitive landscape in the Latin American aviation market.

In May 2023, Delta Air Lines faced a consumer class action lawsuit filed in Central California U.S. District Court over marketing claims that the company is the world's first carbon neutral airline. This legal challenge highlighted the scrutiny and legal implications associated with environmental claims made by companies.