Delta Air Lines

The most profitable airline in the world, running a premium-led operation from Atlanta, the busiest hub on Earth.
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Delta Air Lines at a glance

IATA / ICAO
DL/DAL
Hub
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)
Alliance
SkyTeam
Fleet (mainline)
~990

Delta Air Lines is the world's most profitable airline and the standard-setter for the premium-led US model, flying some 990 mainline aircraft to more than 290 destinations. Its Atlanta home is the busiest airport on the planet chiefly because of Delta's fortress hub, which combines with Minneapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City and coastal gateways into an unmatched domestic machine.

Celebrating its centennial in 2025, Delta under Ed Bastian has bet on premium seats, the SkyMiles-American Express partnership worth billions annually, and reliability, while renewing its fleet with A350s, A330neos, A321neos and A220s. Joint ventures with Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air and LATAM extend the network worldwide.

Fleet

Delta runs the industry's most valuable premium operation on a fleet of nearly 1,000 mainline aircraft, renewing long-haul flying around the A350 and A330neo while famously extracting value from older jets.

Aircraft Role Fleet Size
Airbus A321neo Domestic premium workhorse ~80
Airbus A350-900 Long-haul flagship ~38
Airbus A330-900 Long-haul workhorse ~30
Delta was the US launch operator of the Airbus A220 and continues adding A321neos and A350s as its older 757s and 767s retire.

Hub & route network

Atlanta is the world's busiest airport largely because of Delta, whose fortress hub there anchors a system that also includes Minneapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City, plus coastal gateways in New York-JFK, Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle. The network reaches 290+ destinations with premium cabins and reliability as the brand pillars.

Alliance & partnerships

A SkyTeam founder, Delta flies joint ventures with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic across the Atlantic, Korean Air across the Pacific and LATAM in South America, holding equity stakes in several partners.

Group structure

Delta Air Lines is an independent public company; its wholly owned Endeavor Air feeds the hubs as Delta Connection, and its Monroe subsidiary even owns an oil refinery to hedge fuel costs.

Full specifications

Legal name
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Founded
1925
Headquarters
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Parent company
None
CEO
Ed Bastian
Hub
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)
Alliance
SkyTeam
Destinations
290+
Frequent flyer
SkyMiles

Frequently asked questions

What is Delta's main hub?

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest airport, where Delta operates its largest hub alongside secondary hubs in Minneapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City and coastal gateways.

Why is Delta considered the most profitable airline?

Premium cabins, a lucrative American Express partnership and operational reliability give it the industry's strongest margins and revenue quality.

What alliance is Delta in?

SkyTeam, which it co-founded in 2000, supplemented by joint ventures with Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air and LATAM.