CONNECTING
GLOBAL COMMUNITIESin the Air and on the Ground2018 Corporate Responsibility ReportBETTER CONNECTING GLOBALCOMMUNITIES STARTS WITH THOUSANDS
OF DELTA PEOPLE WHO CONNECTMILLIONS OF PASSENGERS TO HUNDREDSOF GLOBAL DESTINATIONS — EVERY DAY.

But that’s just the start. The heartof our business is about connecting
people with each other ­— increasing
cultural understanding, fostering
economic growth, strengthening
communities and making our very
big world a bit smaller.

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
04
06
07
10
11
14
15
28
37
47
66
75
85
90
91

CEO Message
Delta By The Numbers
Delta's New Look
Our Best Connection
Goals and Progress
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Talent & Culture
SafetyCustomer Satisfaction
Environmental StewardshipCommunity Engagement

ABOUT THIS REPORTAppendix
GRI Index
SASB Index
TCFD Index

The 2018 Corporate Responsibility
Report is our second report aligned with
the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
Standards framework, which we apply at
the Comprehensive level. This year, we
also began initial efforts to report to the
Sustainability Accounting Standards
Board (SASB) and the Task Force on
Climate-related Financial Disclosure(TCFD) standards.

A MESSAGE
FROM EDI have long believedthat Delta's mission ofconnecting people aroundthe globe is a noble one.
Since our founding morethan 90 years ago, we
have built our businesson the shared values ofservice to our people,
our customers and thecommunities we serve.

I am proud of our efforts and humbled by thework ahead as we strive to make this world
a better place for generations to come."That mission extends well beyond connecting customers on our
network of hundreds of global destinations. It's about creating
opportunities for cultural understanding, economic growth andstronger communities, driven by 80,000 people who put humanityand empathy into everything we do.
This report outlines our efforts in 2018 to move beyond the basics
of our business and be a force for positive change worldwide.
HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
REDUCING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
The No. 1 contributor to our carbon footprint is our use of jet
fuel, and it is the chief focus of our efforts to reduce our emissions
and manage our environmental impact. We continue to work
toward our long-term goal of reducing net aviation emissions by
50 percent by 2050, as we replace older aircraft with more fuelefficient jets, improve the efficiency of our existing aircraft andmitigate emissions with carbon offsets.
Delta's people are constantly seeking impactful and innovative
energy projects across our operation. New cockpit technology

4is reducing the impact of turbulence, making flights more fuelefficient as well as more comfortable. A project to reduce therunning time of our onboard auxiliary power units while planes
are parked at the gate also is reducing our fuel burn. In Seattle,
we're working with 12 other airlines on a plan to reduce emissions
and explore the use of aviation biofuels, which are sustainably
produced. And we are investing in electric ground support
equipment and vehicles that further reduce our carbon footprint.
PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
I believe strongly that Delta should reflect the diversity of theworld we serve. Delta Vision 2020, a three-year plan to increase
diversity, particularly in leadership roles, at our company, supports
and measures our progress in promoting inclusion and driving
accountability. More than 80 percent of our leaders have participatedin diversity training and education, with a focus on unconscious
bias and leading with inclusion. And Business Resource Groups,
focusing on LGBTQ equality, veterans, working families and otherdiverse groups, provide professional development and employee
engagement. They are also a great source for new and innovative
business solutions.

A MESSAGE FROM EDDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTof our commitment to putting people at the heart of everything we
do. The empathy and humanity demonstrated on a daily basis byDelta people is at the heart of what sets us apart.
Our commitment to our people-focused culture has resulted
in recognition as a great place to work by Fortune, Glassdoor,
Indeed.com, Forbes, Business Insider and others. Innovative
recruitment efforts are vital to maintaining that culture into the
future, and we have been rolling out workforce development
initiatives to help train the next generation of pilots, aircraft
technicians, engineers and others who we hope will join the
Delta family.
BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIESGiving back to the communities where we live, work and serve has
been part of our culture for decades, and today it is formalized with
our pledge to give 1 percent of net income back to communities acrossthe globe. Last year that provided more than $50 million from Delta
and The Delta Air Lines Foundation to charitable partners.
Funding alone is never enough, no matter how generous. That's why
we recently launched The Great Delta Give-Back, an annual paid
day of service for all of Delta's people worldwide—an initiative thatis providing 640,000 hours of service every year to communities
around the globe.
PUTTING PEOPLE FIRSTAs CEO, my top responsibility is taking care of our people. That's
why my favorite day of the year is Valentine's Day, when we giveour employees the profit-sharing checks they have earned with
their hard work and dedication. We celebrated a milestone in2018 when we set aside more than $1 billion in profit sharing forour people worldwide for the fifth year in a row. The scope of ourprogram is unmatched in American business, but it is just one part

5

LEADING SAFELY
Our commitment to our customers and people starts with theirsafety, which is a core value at Delta and impacts every decision.
That commitment includes safety on the ground, in the air andin the workplace. Our Safety Management System is a rigorous
protocol that establishes our safety expectations, and defines thetools and methods we use to assess and improve safety every day.
You can learn about all of these efforts, and much more, in this report.
As I review the progress we have made, I am proud of our efforts while
simultaneously humbled by the work ahead as we strive to makethis world a better place for generations to come. Whether you area customer, an investor, an employee or a community partner, I thankyou for joining us on this journey and look forward to climbing together.

Ed Bastian
Chief Executive Officer

2018 DELTA BY-THE-NUMBERS
As a worldwide leader in the aviation industry, we provide scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargothroughout the United States and around the world.

HEADQUARTERS
Atlanta, GA

80,000+180M+

EMPLOYEESJOINT VENTURE PARTNERS
Air France-KLM
Alitalia
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Australia
Aeromexico*
Korean Air

57*

CUSTOMERS

6*COUNTRIESCONTINENTS

324*

DESTINATIONS* Delta and Delta Connection carriers* Joint Cooperation Agreement

MAJOR SUBSIDIARIES

15,000+800+(Including worldwide
alliance partners)(Mainline fleet)

DAILY FLIGHTSAIRCRAFT

Monroe Energy, LLC
Delta Global Services, LLC*
* Sold in December 2018

KEY HUBS & MARKETSAtlanta
BostonDetroitLos Angeles
Mexico City
Minneapolis/St. PaulNew York–John F. Kennedy
New York–LaGuardia
Salt Lake City
SeattleAmsterdam
London–Heathrow
Paris–Charles de GaulleSão Paulo
Seoul-Incheon
Tokyo–Narita

Additional information is available at:
6delta.com
Delta News Hub: news.delta.com
Facebook.com/delta
Twitter.com/delta
Instagram.com/delta

DELTA UNIFORMS
TAKE ONNEW JOBS
When Delta employees boarded planes and entered warehouses and maintenancehangars on May 29th, they did so with a whole new look. The date marked thedebut of our new uniform collection, the first update for Airport Customer
Service and In-Flight Service employees since 2007 and for Cargo andTechnical Operations (TechOps) employees since 2000.
As Delta prepared for the new, Zac Posen-designed uniforms to
make their appearance, we also had to decide what to do withthe uniforms we’d be retiring. “The first question employees
asked when they heard about new uniforms was what to dowith the old ones,” says Scott Hamlin, CEO of Looptworks,a Delta upcycling partner. “They wanted to know thatthe uniforms would be put to meaningful use.”
We’re aware of the challenges presented by textile
waste, more than 15 million tons of which are sent tolandfills every year. Before the new uniforms werereleased, Delta design teams conducted wear-testing
to ensure designs would support a variety of job
functions, climates and body types. After testing,these prototypes were donated to re:loom, anAtlanta organization, where weavers designed
and produced handmade products
such as rugs, keychains and more.
With a plan to upcycle the prototypes,
we next had to figure out a plan for an entire
airline’s worth of old uniforms—more than
1 million pieces in all. Working with more than ahalf-dozen partners, we expanded our donation andupcycling program to put uniforms to work in a number of sustainable ways.
By using every piece of material donated, these efforts allowed us to achieve
one of the largest single company textile diversion programs in U.S. history.
Delta also marked the launch of our new uniforms with fashion shows
and celebrations coast to coast—even in the air. We incorporated theuniforms into one of our in-flight safety videos, which featured Delta
crewmembers wearing Delta uniforms from the 1940s to today. We’re proud
to be writing a new chapter in Delta history—one that looks to the future
while recognizing the positive impact we can make in the present.

7

DELTA'S
NEW LOOKDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTCOLLECTION
Boxes were placed in more than
90 cities around the Delta system.
Partners Looptworks, Relay Resources
and the Bobby Dodd Institute (BDI) sorted,
deconstructed and warehoused all donations.
Relay Resources and BDI provide job
opportunities to those who facebarriers to employment.

DONATION
Non-branded Delta items
in good condition were donated to
The Salvation Army. Covenant House
Georgia gave gently used uniform
pieces to homeless youth
attending job interviews.

HOW DELTA PUTTO WORK
325,000+

UPCYCLING
Looptworks took branded Delta items
and upcycled them, or turned them into new
products. Many of the products also usedleather from retired aircraft seats, which itself
is a waste product from other leather manufacturing.
A portion of the proceeds were donated to the YouthEnvironmental Education and Action Fundthrough the Captain Planet Foundation.

DOWNCYCLING

100%

of Salvation Army proceeds
given to adult rehabilitation centers

100%of material donated diverted
from landfills andincineration

8

Items that could not be donated or
upcycled were downcycled or converted
into items of lesser value. Leftover fabricfrom Delta uniforms was turned intohome insulation, pillows, pet bed
stuffing and more.

pounds donated. Morethan half the maximum takeoff
weight of a Boeing 757
aircraft

DELTA'S
NEW LOOK

9DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTOUR BEST CONNECTION:
DELTA PEOPLE
Delta’s success in connecting global communities on the ground and in the air iscredited solely to our more than 80,000 employees. Taking care of them is our top
priority. We are proud that they are the best-performing, best-compensated aviation
professionals in the industry. Among the ways we demonstrate our commitment
to Delta people:• Consistent pay increases — 10 times over the past
10 years, increasing total annual compensation
80 percent since 2008. Base pay has increased morethan 30 percent on average in the past five years.
• Strong, middle-class jobs, for example,
ramp agents earn starting salaries that arenearly $18 an hour; airport agents and flightattendants earns $74,000 and mechanics earn
$121,000 annually after 12 years of service.
• The industry’s best profit-sharing plan, and most likely
in the U.S., with effectively 15 percent of company profits
go to employees, in addition to their salary. For the past
five years, payouts have been in excess of $1 billion.

10• An industry-leading 401(k) plan that provides up
to a 9 percent contribution from Delta, including a
3 percent company investment and a 6 percent
dollar-for-dollar match when the plan member
contributes 6 percent. In addition, we have funded$7 billion into pensions plans over the past five years.
Our commitment to our people is matched by theirloyalty to us. Delta’s average attrition rate is below
5 percent, significantly under the industry average,
and average seniority is 16 years. Delta people show
every day their commitment to each other, ourcustomers and our communities and that’s why we
put them at the heart of every decision we make.

GOALS and
PROGRESSDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTIn 2018 we aligned our Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs)
with the environmental, socialand governance issues that are
most relevant to our businessand set goals for each. The
following are the results ofour progress toward these2018 goals. More in-depth
information on individualmaterial issues and KPIs can befound throughout the report.

CLIMATE CHANGE
Fuel Efficiency

Carbon-Neutral Growth

IATA-ALIGNED GOAL

Carbon Neutral Growth
IATA-ALIGNED
GOAL

Short-term: Improve fuel efficiency
an average of 1.5 percent per year
Efficiency
from 2009Fuel
to 2020.
2009
2009

16.73
16.73

2014
2014

15.52
15.52

2005
2005

46.1
0

2014
2014

37.7
1.2

16.73
16.73

15.72
15.72

XXX

IATA-ALIGNED GOAL

Long-term:
Reduce Reduction
net aviation
Absolute Emissions
CO2 emissions 50 percent by
2050, relative to 2005 levels.
2005
2005

46.2

2015
2015

37.7
2.1

2014
2014

38.9

2015
2015

39.7

2016

2016

37.7
2.4

2016
2016

40.0

37.7
2.5

2017
2017

40.2

15.39
15.39

2017

2018
2018

41.0

14.61
14.61
15.20
15.20

2018

37.7
3.3

In Millions
MetricofTons
of CO2
InofMillions
MetricTons of CO2e

2015
2015

15.28
15.28

2016
2016

15.05
15.05

2017
2017

14.83
14.83

2018
2018

15.72
15.72

15.74
15.74

I ATA
Goal
of 1.5%annualGallons
per 100
Revenueaverage
Ton Miles (RTM)
improvement
Gallons per 1,000 Available Seat Miles (ASM)
Delta Progress (gallons per 100 RTM)

In 2018, fuel efficiency improved
1.23 percent compared to 2017;and our RTM grew by 3.24 percent
while total fuel use increased only
1.95 percent.

11

Medium-term: Cap net international
aviation CO2 emissions from 2020.

Absolute Emissions
Reduction

2017

2018

In Millions of Metric Tons of CO2

In Millions of Metric Tons of CO2e
OFFSETS
Offsets

EMISSIONS
Emissions

Since 2013, we have purchased andretired nearly 9 million carbon offsets,
including a commitment to retirenearly 3 million offsets for our 2018
growth compared to 2012 levels.

Emissions
Since 2005,
we have reduced
absolute GHG emissions by
11 percent.

GOALS and
PROGRESSDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTCUSTOMERSATISFACTION

GENERAL
SAFETYTALENT& CULTURE

Net Promoter Score (NPS)and JD Power Customer
Service Results

Customer Safety

Employee Engagement

GOAL

GOAL

GOAL

With 10+ points of growth overthe past five years, we hopeto achieve year-over-year NPS
growth in the next five years.

Proactively reduce risks byidentifying, assessing, mitigating
and/or eliminating hazards that
may cause incidents, accidents
or injuries to customers.

ZERO

Employee Satisfaction

Employee Engagement
86%

88%

89%

87%

85%

2014

2015
2015

2016

2017

2018

Serious Customer
Injuries

DomesticNet
Net Promoter
Promoter Score
Domestic
Scoreandand
Customer
Service
JD Power Customer Service Results
33.5% 37.8% 40.1% 42.4%* 45.9%
693
709
725
758
767**

Achieve an 85 percent positive
employee engagement score.

EMPLOYEESAFETY

Global Injury Rate

In 2018 Delta achieved an 85 percent
overall positive engagement score andwas recognized by Great Places to Work®.

GOAL

2014 2015
2015 2016
2016
2014

2017 2018
2018
2017

DOMESTIC NET
PROMOTER SCORECUSTOMERSERVICE*F inal 2017 Year-end Domestic NPS; previous reportcontained 2017 YTD figure**J D Power year-end result

Since 2014, Delta’s NPS has improvedby 12.4+ pts including 3.5+ pts ofgrowth in 2018 versus prior year.
This improvement reflects increased
recognition from customers of ourinvestments in customer experience,
including strong focus on operationalreliability and customer service alongwith other customer experience
initiatives. Through continued focus
on Delta’s strengths and opportunities
for additional growth, we hope tocontinue to increase customer
satisfaction measures and realize
long-term NPS benefit.

12

Achieve world-class personal safety
performance with the goal of sending
all Delta employees and business
partners home safely each day.
Employee Safety
Global Injury Rate2014 / 3.54

2018 EMPLOYEESATISFACTIONSURVEY2015 / 3.87
2016 / 4.03
2017 / 3.91
2018 / 3.95

In 2018, we invested heavily in Personal
Safety initiatives that improved safety
awareness, culture and knowledge;
however, our injury rate remained flat.

Engagement Score
Goal Achieved

GOALS and
PROGRESSDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
Nonhazardous Waste
Generation

Hazardous Waste
Generation

Environmental Notices
of Violation

GOAL

Hazardous Waste Generation
GOAL

GOAL

Reduce year-over-year waste
generation.

Not to exceed three notices.

Reduce year-over-year waste
generation.
591
591

509
509

446
446

432
432

477
477

444
444

4

5

7

2

3

4

Landfilled (in tons)
2013

1,105

2014
2013
2015
2014
2016
2013
2015
2017

1,405
1,105
1,465
1,405
1,646
1,105
1,465
1,135

2014
2016
2018
2015
2017
2013
2013
2016
2018
Recycled(in tons)
2014
2014
2017
2015
2013
2015
2018
2016
2014
2016

1,405
1,646
1,015
1,465
1,135
1,105
827
1,646
1,015
1,405
1,085
1,135
1,465
827
1,310
1,015
1,646
1,085
1,124

2015
2017
2013
2013
2016
2018
2014
2014
2017
2015
2013
2015
2018
Upcycled(in tons)
2016
2014
2016
2017
2013
2015
2017

1,310
1,529
827
N/A
1,124
1,345
1,085
43
1,529
1,310
N/A
17
1,345
1,124
43
23

2017
2013
2015
2017
2018
2014
2016
2018

2018
2014
2016
2018
2015
2017
2013
2013
2016
2018
2014
2014
2017
2015
2013
2015
2018
2016
2014
2016
2017
2013
2015
2017

1,135
827
1,310
1,529
1,015
1,085
1,124
1,345

1,529
N/A
17
19
1,345
43
23
175

2015 20162016 20172014 20152017 20182013 2014

Delta was able to meet the goal of
reducing our operationally generated
hazardous waste through various means
and methods. Some of this reduction
is attributed to the replacement ofolder aircraft and some due to normal
maintenance cycles that operate on acyclical basis. Delta is continuing to workwith our supply chain to understand andreduce our hazardous waste footprint
where possible.

17
19
N/A
N/A
23
175
43
361
19
N/A
017
175
23
361
220
0019
N/A
Landfill
Construction
Debris175 (in tons)
2018
361
2014
2016
220
2018
178,567*
0
2015
2017
2013
N/A
In Tons
2016
2018
220
178,567*361
2014
2017LANDFILLED

In2015Tons
UPCYCLED

2018
2016RECYCLEDLANDFILLED

In2017Tons
UPCYCLED

2018
RECYCLEDLANDFILLEDLANDFILL
00
CONSTRUCTION
178,567*220
DEBRISLANDFILL
0
CONSTRUCTION
DEBRIS178,567*
LANDFILLUPCYCLED
In*HTons
igher
2018 tonnage due toCONSTRUCTION
airportRECYCLED contaminated
DEBRIS
redevelopment
soils
LANDFILLEDLANDFILL
mitigation.
See page 61 table.
UPCYCLEDRECYCLED

13

CONSTRUCTION
DEBRISPart of Delta's new collection of upcycled
products through Delta's partnershipwith Looptworks.

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

SpillsGOAL

Experience no more than
90 combined Class I and Class II
spills annually.
78

81

95

2013

2014

2015

91

93

86

2016

2017

2018

With the goal of continuous
improvement for NOVs and Spills, theannual variability of both numbers isdue to the growth in operations andmaintenance activities. Therefore,
annual variability will continue toaffect reported numbers on a yearover-year basis.

UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT GOALSCOMMONGOALS•Provide over
80,000 jobs
throughout our
global operations•Rank consistently
on national lists
for employee
engagement•Providecompetitive
benefits andcompensation•Share profits
with employees,
averagingapproximately$1 billion annually
over the past
four years•Invest in theindividual potentialof employees
through training
and development
programs•Establish processes
and encouragepractices to ensurea safe workplace

14

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTThe United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) engage
organizations across all sectors to help end poverty, protect the planet andensure prosperity for all. Delta is committed to supporting those goals thatmost closely align with our business.

•Invest in innovativetechnology, suchas biometrics, toenhance safety,
security andthe customer
experience•Promote a cultureof diversity andinclusion throughBusiness Resource
Groups that countmore than 15,000
members•Collaborate withregulatory andgovernment
agencies to deploy
new technologies
that enhance flightsafety•Support industry
workplacediversity
initiatives, suchas the CEO Action
for Diversity &Inclusion•Committed togender pay parity
and spousal
benefits for samesex couples andtheir children•Maintain a robust
supplier diversity
program•Provide affordable
air transport tofacilitate cultural
understanding
and exchange•Enable travel
for those whoare disabled orhave medical
conditions•Enable global
travel throughthe availabilityof affordable
air transport•Support local
communities where
we live, work andserve through
The Delta Air Lines
Foundation•Promotecommunity
engagement
through ourthree key pillars
of Advancing
Education,
Improving Healthand Supporting
Armed Service
Members andVeterans•Work with our
suppliers toincrease theefficiency of ouraircraft throughlightweighting
and aircraft
replacements•Upcycle aircraft,aircraft parts anduniforms throughprograms suchas re:loom and
Looptworks•Promote ourheadquarters andinflight recycling
programs at 38
domestic recycling
locations and threeinternational
recycling locations
worldwide•Comply with allenvironmental
regulations in theareas of air quality,
aircraft drinking
water and waste•Committed to andhave achieved
carbon neutral
growth for fiveconsecutive years•Aligned with
International
Air Transport
Association on
short-, mediumand long-termgoals to improvefuel efficiency,
achieve carbon
neutral growth
and reducecarbon emissions•Purchased andretired nearly
9 million carbon
offsets since 2013,and committed toretiring more than
3 million offsets for2018 growth•Work with suppliers
to increase the fuelefficiency ofaircraft andimplement
fuel-saving flightprocedures•Engage producers
in support ofalternative
aviation fuels

TALENT & CULTURE
IN THIS CHAPTER
Culture and Engagement................. 162018 Employee Awards................... 16
Workforce Profile...............................17
Upholding Our Values...................... 18
Rewarding the Delta Team............. 20
Recruiting & Retaining the Best
Delta Talent..........................................21
Talent Development.........................24
Health Benefits..................................24
Diversity, Inclusion & Equity..........26

15

TALENT& CULTURE

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTCULTURE AND
ENGAGEMENT
The “Delta Difference” separates us fromour competitors. Since 1929, Delta people
have worked diligently to build our record
for delivering safe, high-quality service andfor acting with honesty, integrity, respect,perseverance and servant leadership in all
we do. We are proud of this legacy.

Our long history of building and nurturing our culture has earned us deep emotional connections with our
employees and shared values of honesty, integrity and respect. We care for these connections through ongoing
and active listening, including formal mechanisms such as ongoing employee engagement surveys, and avariety of informal measures. And we share our success with the people who make it possible, as evidenced
by our attractive total rewards package and industry-leading profit sharing program.
Delta consistently ranks on national lists for both employee engagement and customer loyalty. For thesecond straight year, in fact, Delta landed on Forbes’ 100 Best Companies to Work For list, the only airline
to do so. This is no accident. Satisfied employees make for satisfied customers, who in turn make us a
more successful business. The fuel for this virtuous cycle is our investment in our people. We will continue
this journey by putting people first: refining our talent attraction and retention practices, rewarding highperformance, providing opportunities to learn and develop, and cultivating a diverse and inclusive place
to work.
A primary way we measure employee satisfaction is through a company-wide employee survey. Nearly
48,000 Delta employees—60 percent—participated in the 2018 Employee Survey. For the sixth year in arow, we achieved our goal for positive employee engagement, with a score of 85 percent. The four highest
positive response rates were for questions about:• Understanding how employees’ daily work impacts the company’s overall goals• Understanding and supporting Delta’s basic principles and core values• Employee pride in telling others they work for Delta• Employee likelihood to refer a friend or family member to work for Delta
Beyond this survey, Delta employees also are heard through division-specific engagement surveys
provided annually on an employee’s hire date and division-specific employee engagement groups. In
addition, the Delta Board Council consists of a representative from every major noncontract operating
division and ensures that employee voices are heard at the Board of Directors level. Our Business Resource
Groups (BRGs) and our internal social media platform SkyHub are also important engagement channels
for employees and leaders.

16

2018
EMPLOYEE AWARDS• American Heart Association Workplace HealthAchievement Index—Gold Recognition• Business Insider—Top 25 companies withhappiest employees in America• Companies That Care Honor Roll 2018
• Disability Equality Index Best Places to Work 2018
• Forbes—America’s Best Employers for New Graduates(Rank 44)
• Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2018
• Fortune and Great Place to Work: Best Workplaces for
Diversity 2018
• Fortune and Great Place to Work: Best Workplaces for
Women 2018
• Glassdoor Best Places to Work in 2018
• Great Place to Work Certified Company 2018-2019• Human Rights Campaign Foundation:
Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality 2018
• Indeed.com Top Rated Workplaces: 50 Best• Indeed.com Top Rated Workplaces: Best by Millennials• Indeed.com Top Rated Workplaces: Best by Veterans• National Business Group on Health—Best Employers for
Healthy Lifestyles—Platinum Award• Victory Media—Military Friendly Employer 2018
• Workforce 100 List for HR Excellence 2018

80,000+
GLOBAL EMPLOYEES

39.8%

U.S. ETHNIC MINORITIESTALENT& CULTURE

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTWORKFORCE PROFILE
A Closer Look at Delta People

EMPLOYEESBY GENDER*

The Delta team continued todeliver outstanding results in2018 with unmatched reliability
and customer service

MALE				59.1%
FEMALE				40.9%

E d Bastian
Chief Executive Officer,
Delta Air Lines

WHITE
AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACKHISPANICASIANTWO OR MORE RACESNEW HIRES
BY AGE**HIRES**MALE
FEMALEEMPLOYEESBY RACE

54.2%
45.8%

<30
30–39
40–49
50–59
60+

EMPLOYEESBY REGION**

60%
21%
9%
8%
2%

OPERATIONDIVISION**
46.2%
29.0%
15.9%
7.8%
1.0%

AIRPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE
IN-FLIGHT SERVICEFLIGHT OPERATIONSTECHNICAL OPERATIONSCORPORATERESERVATIONS
CARGO

32.2%
25.2%
15.9%
12.1%
6.3%
6.1%
2.2%

ATTRITION**ATTRITION
BY AGE**UNITED STATESASIA-PACIFIC
LATIN AMERICACANADA & CARIBBEANEUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

96.6%
1.5%
0.9%
0.6%
0.5%

MALE
FEMALE

60.8%
39.2%

*As of December 2018; diversity calculation includes domestic (station country code USA, excluding SJU) and expat employees only.
**Between January and December 2018; excludes intern/co-op and no show; diversity calculation includes domestic (station country code USA, excluding
SJU) and expat employees only.

17

<30
30–39
40–49
50–59
60+

26.2%
18.2%
12.0%
13.4%
30.2%

TALENT& CULTUREUPHOLDINGOUR VALUES
Our culture is our most importantcompetitive advantage. Eachand every Delta employee hasa responsibility to protect andpreserve it. They play a key rolein maintaining Delta’s reputation
as a safe, reliable airline built on afoundation of honesty, integrity,
respect, perseverance and servant
leadership. Delta’s Code of Ethics
and Business Conduct helps
employees better understandtheir role in protecting Delta’s
values, culture and reputation.
Delta conducts all business ethically and in compliancewith the law. This nonnegotiable policy is critical tomaintaining Delta’s high level of performance, as well as
our well-earned reputation for excellence and integrity. We
run our business using the following three documents as
our primary guide:• Rules of the Road, which is our foundation and outlines
core values, principles and expectations of modelingleadership at every level of the company.
• The Way We Fly, which outlines our basic expectationsof each other as employees.
• The Delta Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, which
defines how we conduct business around the world.

18

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

These documents describe and reinforce the fundamental values and basic behaviors required of all
employees and what we promise as a company in return—including a commitment to our long-standing
Open Door policy. In addition to helping Delta employees conduct business ethically, the Delta Code of
Ethics and Business Conduct also helps our business partners understand how we conduct business,and it provides key compliance policies that apply to interactions around the world.
While Delta’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct is an important reference, understandably it cannot
describe every law and Delta standard that applies to our business. That is why we expect employees andpartners to let their actions be guided by all three documents.
All Delta employees must read, understand and follow Delta’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct,
as well as reporting violations or suspected violations. Speaking up about behavior that may be a violationof the Delta Code of Ethics and Business Conduct or our values allows Delta to address issues as theyarise. Employees are encouraged to report suspicions to their supervisor or other manager; their HR
representative or the Law Department. If an employee is uncomfortable reporting through one of thesechannels, they can always report through DeltaHelpLine.com.

SAFETY, ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE HELPLINE
If an employee, partner or customer wants to report an incident or raise a safety, ethics or complianceconcern, they can contact the Delta Safety, Ethics and Compliance Helpline. The Helpline is available
toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-800-253-7879 within the U.S. and Canada. Concerns
also maybe be reported online at DeltaHelpLine.com.
Reports to the Helpline are answered discreetly and confidentially by an independent company that helps
us respond to concerns. If an investigation is necessary, it happens promptly and, if appropriate, corrective
actions are taken. Delta does not tolerate retaliation of any kind for raising concerns or making a report ingood faith about a safety, ethics or compliance issue. Delta will take appropriate disciplinary action, up to
and including termination, against individuals who retaliate.

TALENT& CULTURE

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTETHICS IN ACTION

HUMAN RIGHTS

In 2018, we delivered 19 live training sessions to more than 3,000 of ourcolleagues globally on topics including anti-trust, conflicts of interest, anti-bribery
and anti-corruption, insider trading, and trade sanctions and restrictions. We
provide the Delta Code of Ethics and Business Conduct online course to all Delta
merit employees and contractors annually and update content so that materials
remain fresh. During 2018, 14,176 employees and contractors completed thecourse, a 97 percent completion rate for the relevant population. Starting in 2019,
we will conduct a focused effort to achieve 100 percent completion of online
mandatory training.

Delta condemns all forms of human rights abuses, including human trafficking
and sexual exploitation of children. We fully support and respect the principles
set forth in various international and domestic modern slavery and anti-humantrafficking laws, which is consistent with our core values and commitment to be aforce for global good. Through our support of human rights, we actively take our
responsibility as a global citizen seriously and proudly continue to evolve and takeactions to be the leading force against human trafficking in the airline industry.
Throughout 2018, Delta rolled out new signs in airports across the U.S. to raiseawareness of human trafficking. The signs serve multiple goals, including helping
to teach the public about indicators of trafficking and to highlight the National
Human Trafficking Hotline number. The signs also create additional opportunities
for educating the extended Delta global family to learn and recognize the signs oftrafficking, while providing a means to report anything suspicious.

We also continued to expand the variety and reach of Ethics and Complianceprogram communications by:• Publishing featured articles on our internal, employee-focused intranet;• Distributing printed materials throughout the company;• Building a central, online home for employees to access policies andcompliance information;• Creating videos by Delta officers who discuss what compliance means totheir business units for use in live and online trainings.
Delta also provides anti-bribery and anti-corruption training to all Delta personnel
and agents who may interact with foreign officials on Delta matters. We havesignificantly increased the frequency of in-person training on Delta’s Code of Ethics
and Business Conduct, in particular anti-bribery and anti-trust topics. We now also
have online anti-trust training available to employees.

During the year, our In-Flight Service training department released new mandatory
quarterly training for all flight attendants. Also released was an optional computerbased training module that is now available to our 80,000 employees worldwide.
To build even more momentum around human trafficking education and awareness,
we held events in April 2018 and in January 2019 for more than 500 employees incollaboration with our longstanding partners Polaris, Street Grace, Freedom Unitedand End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT).
In addition to training, we continue to be a force for global good by building humanrights volunteer opportunities through nonprofit organizations that include Freedom
Rings, Freedom United and WellSpring Living. These volunteer efforts allow Delta
people to directly engage the communities where we live and work in support ofwomen’s shelters and other organizations that serve human trafficking survivors.

A BETTER CONNECTION
THROUGH EMPATHY
In a business focused on service and hospitality, there is no suchthing as demonstrating too much empathy when dealing with bothcustomers and fellow employees. That was the thought behindgathering Delta people, from frontline employees to directors,
at “Destination Tomorrow: Together with TED” to learn from TED
fellows, hear from leaders and participate in discussions on how
empathy contributes to unmatched customer service. Colleagues
shared best practices and brainstormed ideas in support of theconcept during the day-long event.
Tim Moye, manager of the Delta Care and Scholarship Funds, shareda powerful story on his work as founder of Wrenched Hearts, anemployee group for grieving parents. Wrapping up the day, Jeanie
Brady, a flight attendant, left participants with a lot to think aboutfrom her talk, “Practicing Kindness at 35,000 Feet.”19“From Jeanie’s reminder that everyone has a story to Customer
Experience Vice President Charisse Evans’ talk on experimentationand continuous improvement—the event was a compelling learning
experience. It also reaffirmed what we do every day at Delta,” said
attendee Lori Spellman, In-Flight Service base manager.

TALENT& CULTURE

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTREWARDING THE
DELTA TEAM
Our success as a business depends on every
Delta employee at every level, and we believe
in rewarding them for the success they help
to create. Our competitive and generous
compensation philosophy is also designed tohelp us recruit and retain talented employees.

Delta employees are grouped into two categories for compensation purposes:
scale and merit employees. The latter includes a broad mix of leaders andindividual contributors who are paid a salary. We track pay for merit employees
by using data to benchmark their compensation relative to their peers at Deltaand across multiple industries. Merit employees’ job performance is evaluatedbased on skill, experience, innovation, effort and leadership.
Scale employees, who include pilots, flight attendants, maintenancetechnicians, Airport Customer Service agents, baggage handlers and others,
are paid an hourly wage. Delta’s leadership position in the industry allows
us to pay scale employees competitively and reward excellent performance.
We offer pay premiums based on job function and work rules that provide
a balance of flexibility, productivity and quality of work life. Benefits arecompetitive and flexible and include paid time off, retirement savings andcomprehensive health care coverage. On Oct. 1, 2018, eligible scale and merit
employees received up to a 3 percent increase in base pay.

for meeting operational targets, has resulted in an 80 percent increase in total
annual compensation since 2008. Our people can further share in our financial
success through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). This plan allows
employees to use payroll deductions to purchase Delta stock.
The Shared Rewards program helps incentivize employees to deliver safe,
on-time, best-in-class travel to our customers. Eligible employees can earn amonthly cash bonus based on achieving the specific operational goals in the
categories of baggage handling, completion factor, on-time arrivals and domestic
Net Promoter Score. Employees earn $25 for meeting or exceeding one goal, $50
for two, $75 for three and $100 for all four, with a maximum payout of $1,200 per
year for U.S.-based employees. Eligible international employees participate inShared Rewards with target payout values appropriate for each country.

For all employees, competitive base pay is one piece of a larger compensation
pie that includes added rewards and benefits. Our profit sharing program
leads the industry and recognizes our employees’ contributions in meeting
Delta’s financial targets.

Executive compensation is aligned with compensation for all Delta employees
but is also dependent on the airline’s performance, which includes environmental,social and governance factors. The Personnel & Compensation Committee of
the Board of Directors sets evaluation criteria and compensation for the CEO
and reviews and approves compensation for other officers. The Committee also
produces an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion in Delta’s
proxy statement, in accordance with SEC rules and regulations.

For the fourth year in a row we have paid out more than $1 billion annually
through the program, more than any other company. This plan, combinedwith highly competitive base pay and monthly Shared Rewards bonuses paid

Delta supports flexible employment arrangements. Ready Reserve employees are
eligible to work fewer weekly hours; are paid on the same pay scale as full-time
customer service agents; and receive profit sharing, Shared Rewards, 401(k)20TALENT& CULTURE
savings and travel privileges. In most locations, Ready Reserve employees are noteligible to participate in health and welfare plans. The Reservation Sales Work @ Home
program allows employees to receive the same benefits as full-time employees
without the time and expense of traveling between home and the engagement callcenter. Employees must live within a three-hour drive of the center to be eligible.
Delta employees also care deeply for one another, as seen through the work of two
internal funds created by employees, for employees. The Delta Employee & Retiree

RECRUITING &RETAINING THE
BEST DELTATALENT

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Care Fund supports individuals who suffer from severe financial hardship
resulting from unforeseen and unavoidable crises such as natural disasters.
This fund distributed $3.6 million in grants to employees and $1.5 million indisaster relief in 2018. The Delta Scholarship Fund helps employees and eligible
family members achieve their dreams of furthering their education. The Fundhas awarded more than $5 million in scholarships since it launched in 2008, and
550 employees and dependents received scholarships worth $1.35 million forthe 2018-2019 school year.

A BETTER CONNECTION
THROUGH PROFIT SHARING
Delta employees working together as one made Delta the Most
Awarded Airline in 2017. To commemorate this milestone andhonor their performance and hard work, we created a puzzle fromthe hull of a retired Delta 747, which was unveiled on our 2018
Profit Sharing Day at the Delta Flight Museum. Delta employees
earned a $1.1 billion payout for their role in delivering record-breaking
operational and customer satisfaction performance as well
as strong financial performance.

For 90 years, Delta has fostered one of the most engaged and loyal
workforces of any airline in the world. To continue our tradition of excellence,
we follow a human capital development strategy that is rooted in our sharedvalues of honesty, integrity, respect, perseverance and servant leadership. We
work hard to hire people steeped in these values so they can help perpetuate
our unique culture. Delta reinforces these values through an experiential
onboarding process, continuous development and coaching opportunities,
recognition for hard work and an industry-leading compensation philosophy.
We continue to update those strategies to keep pace with workplace
trends. Today’s job seekers are looking for positions that did not exist a
decade ago and are finding information about these jobs in new ways.
They want careers that are dynamic, with the opportunity to develop andtake on new roles over time. Delta, too, has evolved over time. We are ina strong financial position, with goals of becoming one of the top service
brands in any industry. These aspirations demand top talent to match.
Industry dynamics also drive recruitment efforts. As more people embrace
air travel, we require more employees to support seasonal surges in demand
and respond to new risks. Recruiting the next generation of employees

21

Following the ceremony, each of Delta’s more than 80,000
employees received a puzzle piece engraved with their name,serving as a constant reminder of the importance and impact of
their efforts working together for the company’s success.

TALENT& CULTURE

to replace those retiring from key technical roles—especially pilots andmechanics—is also a major focus. In the coming five years, we plan to hireapproximately 25,000 employees, including more than 8,000 pilots to staff
flights around the world as other pilots reach mandatory retirement age.
In 2018, we completed the build-out of our hiring team within Delta, allowing
us to use our own expertise to recruit from within and reduce our reliance onthird-party agency partners. With unemployment at a 10-year low, however,competition for talent has increased. This means we must develop even morecreative ways to attract talent.
Preparing aspiring aviation professionals to take the helm from retiring
employees is a priority. We have partnerships with more than 47 maintenancetraining programs across the U.S. to help identify, mentor and source the next
generation of aviation maintenance technicians. Through these partnerships,
we offer tours, job shadows and career guidance for the schools, as well as
training opportunities for instructors. Where possible, we donate serviceableparts, engines and airframes to give students even more real-world maintenanceexperience working with jet aircraft components. In 2018, The Delta Air Lines
Foundation issued $350,000 of grants to nine Aviation Maintenance training
programs nationwide. The grants will allow the programs to enhancetheir curriculum development, projects and material support,
increasing students’ awareness, knowledge and skills ofavionics, electrical and composite structures.

22

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Delta and The Delta Air Lines Foundation invest strategically in education todevelop future talent. In 2018, Delta, The Delta Air Lines Foundation and theJacobson Family Foundation contributed a combined $6.2 million to support
aviation programs at Auburn University. The funding provided will allow Auburnstudents to learn to fly and pursue aviation careers at Auburn University Regional
Airport. The Delta Air Lines Foundation also provided a $2 million grant toGeorgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business to open the new
Delta Student Success Center.
We have partnered with and created many successful experiential educational
programs to get school students excited about STEM and aviation careers.
Delta provided scholarships to over 600 students, grades seven through 12,
to participate in a week-long immersive learning adventure camp aboard
the world’s largest simulated aircraft carrier at the National Flight Academyin Pensacola, Florida. Delta hires 400 new interns or co-ops each year toexperience programs in almost every division throughout our organization.
Delta has long been committed to hiring veterans and reservists, employing over
10,000 veterans. This year, job-seeker site indeed.com recognized Delta as a top
workplace for veterans. Delta was an early adopter of the Veterans Job Mission’s
goal to hire 1 million veterans and takes a multipronged approach ofcommunity outreach and strategic partnerships to hire veterans.

TALENT& CULTURE

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTA BETTER CONNECTION
TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF PILOTS
Our efforts to identify, select and develop the next generationof pilots expanded significantly in 2018 with the launch of the
Delta Propel Pilot Career Path Program.
This innovative program has three main areas of focus—
college, company and community. This three-pronged
approach will help Delta support future aviators as well as
current Delta employees who have a passion for aviation andstrong interest in becoming a Delta pilot. The Propel Programsupplements our current recruiting structure, which includes
recruiting and hiring pilots currently flying in the airline,
military and corporate sectors.
Delta conducted several years of research to create thepilot outreach and pathway program, including listening to
feedback from students, parents, faculty, administrators andDelta employees to help overcome barriers for potential pilot
candidates such as career path uncertainty and the Certificated
Flight Instructor shortage.
The program takes a holistic approach to expanding theopportunities available to aspiring pilots. The College pathfocuses on partnerships with universities and accredited
aviation programs for the student interview and selection
process and an advanced engagement opportunity to immerse
students in the Delta culture on and off campus with thesupport of a Delta pilot mentor. The Company path provides
current Delta employees a career transition opportunity to
pursue a pilot career. A limited number of candidates will bechosen each year and will be provided with a Qualified Job
Offer detailing a defined path and timeline to become a
Delta pilot.
The Community component of the program involves leveraging
current relationships with aviation organizations andestablishing new ones to identify and support aspiring pilots,
including engagement with kindergarten through high school
students. Delta also will provide scholarships, engagement
and mentoring to increase the diversity of its candidate poolthrough the Propel Community Outreach path.

23

TALENT& CULTURE

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Training Hours per Employee by Division

TALENT
DEVELOPMENT

AirportCustomer
ServiceTechnical
Operations

Reservations

An important way we retain the brightest talent is by providing opportunities togrow within Delta. That’s why we’ve invested $50 million to modernize our humanresources technology offerings, including those supporting career development.
Today, we provide a range of talent development opportunities, including mandatorycompliance training, new hire training and general professional development. We also
support employees informally with coaching, mentoring and performance support
as needed. Our online learning database allows employees to view all resourcesthat Delta offers in one place, from webinars to in-person workshops. In 2018 Deltaalso launched a customer experience training for frontline employees following the
success of a 2017 pilot program.

PERFORMANCE & REVIEWS
Every year, merit employees, who make up 11 percent of our workforce, participate
in a performance management process which helps support their career development
goals. In 2018, 87.89 percent of merit employees completed these reviews. Careerdevelopment and growth for merit employees is focused around four key activities:• Performance Planning through which employees create performance
objectives aligned to the goals of their manager, division and theoverall corporation.
• Individual Development Plans are utilized by employees and managers to planand track focused developmental activities in identified skills or behaviors.
• Ongoing Check-In Conversations occur throughout the year between
employees and their managers on the progress being made toward goals
and an employee’s development.
• Year-End Conversations are a final check-in to review an employee’s progressover the last year toward goals achievement and to ensure individual
performance is aligned with behaviors in Delta’s Rules of the Road.
Beyond formal performance management, feedback and coaching conversations
are scheduled quarterly to ensure employees have the guidance and information
they need to continuously grow.

24

FlightOperations

Cargo

In-Flight
Service

Corporate

Merit
Hours

40.1

22.2

9.7

26.5

7.6

10.3

10.3

Frontline
Hours

31.6

48.3

80.6

80.3

38.7

35.1

35.1

HEALTH BENEFITSIn addition to comprehensive health care coverage, Delta offers dental,
vision and flexible spending account benefits to eligible employees. To
promote disease prevention, employees enrolled in a Delta Account-Based
Healthcare Plan are covered at 100 percent for preventive care services
based on the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task
Force (USPSTF). Beyond USPSTF recommendations, employees covered
by Delta’s medical plans receive other preventive services such as travel
immunizations and assistance with health care questions and needs
through the Delta Health Direct program. In addition, employees andtheir eligible family members have access to Delta’s Employee Assistance
Program, which offers confidential counseling, assessment and referral
service support.
As of January 2017, U.S.-based expectant mothers in all ground and flightattendant positions, including Ready Reserve and Flex @ Home, receive aminimum six weeks at 100 percent pay for maternity leave. In addition, allmothers and fathers may take a 30-day unpaid bonding leave following
the birth, adoption, guardianship or fostering of a child once paid maternity
leave (if applicable) and/or other Family Medical Leave Act benefits havebeen exhausted.
Through Delta Health Rewards, a voluntary, incentive-based wellness
program, we help U.S. employees and their spouses reach health goals.
Participants earn rewards dollars by completing specific health actions
such as undergoing an annual physical exam, completing an online healthassessment and refraining from the use of tobacco products. Rewards
dollars are put into employee health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) or
Optum Bank health savings accounts (HSAs) each year and can be used
to pay for eligible medical expenses.

TALENT& CULTURE

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTTRAVEL AND WORK HEALTHCPR automated training
kiosk located in Atlanta HartsfieldJackson International Airport

To continually ensure the health of all Delta employees, numerous employee medical surveillance
programs, screenings and safety trainings are conducted at Delta airport stations. Programs included:• Implementing WHO International Health Regulation pertaining to Lifetime Yellow Fever vaccination
status while maintaining optional 10-year revaccination benefit at the employee’s option.
• Maintaining crew and other employee business traveler awareness around Zika risk andprevention strategies. Travelers could avoid destinations with active Zika transmission secondary
to pregnancy considerations.
• Leading the placement of a CPR automated training kiosk at Gate A11 of Atlanta Hartsfield-JacksonInternational Airport. Its aim is to engage and educate passengers on CPR techniques in less than
15 minutes.
Our employees travel to all parts of the world, which can occasionally expose them to disease outbreaks
and other health risks. To address these challenges, we provide our employees on Delta business travelwith travel health consultation and company-paid vaccine coverage, anti-malaria medication andinsect repellent.

Top-tier global medical assistancefor employees

Delta’s medical plans also provide travel vaccine coverage for global travel by employees and coveredfamily members. Separate Delta internal programs target prevention of illness among employees who
travel internationally on company business, especially to developing countries with risks of malaria,
yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, Zika, food/waterborne illness and other diseases that may occur as
outbreaks. Employee education focuses on promoting awareness about the use of personal protection
measures, early symptom recognition, a 24/7 malaria hotline and prompt medical treatment.
Delta also provides top-tier global medical assistance to help employees who become ill or injured
while traveling internationally on company business. Through telephone conversations available 24/7,
employees can be referred for a hotel physician visit, a doctor’s office appointment or an emergency
room visit. Case management continues until the ill employee can travel back home. In rare circumstances,
we can dispatch an air ambulance staffed with a highly skilled transport team of health care professionals.

25

TALENT& CULTURE

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTDIVERSITY, INCLUSION& EQUITY
For more than 90 years, Delta has been in thebusiness of bringing people together. As a global
airline, we believe that our company must reflect
the diversity of the world and serve as a modelof inclusiveness.

With a goal to strengthen our connections from the inside out, Delta’s
diversity and inclusion strategy focuses on three strategic imperatives:seeking diversity, promoting inclusion and driving accountability. The
strategy is supported and measured by Delta Vision 2020, a three-yearplan to increase diversity, particularly in leadership roles. Delta Vision2020 is supported by Delta’s Diversity Council, which is composed ofsenior leaders across the company to ensure greater accountability.

In addition, two employee peer support groups provide a support system for
Delta employees affected by cancer or for parents who have lost children.
These groups ensure that a diverse and inclusive voice remains an intrinsic
component of the decision-making process. They also demonstrate Delta’s
shared values of treating one another with dignity and respect. The growthand influence of BRGs has been impressive and impactful in creating a more
inclusive and engaged culture. In 2018, BRG membership grew by 35 percent.

In late 2018, Delta Air Lines joined hundreds of companies across the U.S.
in the first-ever National Day of Understanding for diversity and inclusion.
Companies that participated, including Delta, are members of the CEO
Action for Diversity & Inclusion, a coalition committed to creating a safe
workplace environment for dialogue, addressing and mitigating unconscious
biases, and sharing best practices.

To strengthen diversity, we have shifted our external recruiting strategy
to build stronger partnerships with local and regional diverse professionalorganizations. We also are developing strategies to leverage BRGs as talentambassadors, as well as increasing the number of diverse candidates infinal interview slates. It is equally important to increase internal mobility
for existing diverse employees. To do so we are working with leaders anddivisional functions to strengthen the pipeline of employees considered
for promotions, lateral moves and professional development.

BUSINESS RESOURCE GROUPS
Delta’s employee-led groups continue to contribute to a more inclusive andengaged climate across the organization’s global footprint. Our BusinessResource Groups (BRGs) and four employee involvement groups provide
professional development, drive employee and community engagement,
and serve as a source for new and innovative business solutions.

26

TALENT& CULTURE
A MORE INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE
Promoting inclusion through training is a priority forus. In 2017, approximately 80 percent of leadersparticipated in Infinite Differences, a half-day diversity
education experience focused on unconscious bias andhow to lead with inclusion. In 2019, Delta will launch
the next phase of diversity education to expand theinclusion skills and competencies of leaders.
Creating an inclusive environment in a predominantly
male-dominated industry means advocating for, andchampioning, women. Delta works to dismantle
barriers to career entry and advancement, with19 female leaders in officer positions. Conversations
about women in the workplace are encouraged
through the BRG SHE, and women are invited to offer
input on decisions that could predominantly affectwomen, such as maternity leave. Delta achieved pay
parity in both administrative and front-line roles thisyear, but we recognize that there is more work to be
done. Delta is also committed to serving women in
the wider community through its fight against humantrafficking, a crime which largely exploits womenand children.
To support career advancement, Delta hosts
professional development summits in partnershipwith its BRGs and external professional organizations
led by women and people of color. In 2018, we hosted
the Hispanic Corporate Council of Atlanta’s annual
forum in partnership with the company’s Latin
American BRG, providing a unique opportunity forover 100 of our employees to network with Delta
executives and many other Fortune 500 companies.
We reach a broad range of diverse groups throughsponsorships, professional development and early
career programs. Our early outreach to minority
groups aims to break down barriers to the industry
and expose students to relatable and inspiringrole models. For example, Delta’s partnership with
the Organization of Black Aviation Professionals’(OBAP) ACE Academy and Solo Flight programs
introduce high school students of color to careers inaviation. Delta’s all-female “WING” Flight, standingfor “Women Inspiring our Next Generation,” exposesover 100 girls ages 12 to 18 to airline careers. Deltaalso sponsored and participated in several PRIDE
events in U.S. cities and in London to promote our27

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTBusiness Resource Groups(Focus on professional development, employee engagement and source for new and innovative business solutions)
ABLE (Disability)

GENGAGE (Multigenerational)

FUSION (Asian/Pacific)

VETERANSSHE (Women)

EQUAL (LGBTQ)WORKING FAMILIESGREEN UP (Sustainability)

BOLD (Black community)

ADELANTE (Hispanic)

Employee Involvement Groups

Employee Support Groups

Airport Customer Service /Cargo(Employees supporting one another throughshared experiences)

In-Flight Service

WRENCHED HEARTS (Grieving parents)

Reservations & Customer Care

HOPE THRIVES (Cancer support)

Technical Operations

core values of diversity, acceptance and inclusion. In 2018, more than 1,150 employees walked in local PRIDE
parades in support of LGBTQ communities.
Delta extends its values of diversity and inclusion to our supply chain. The diversity clause in our supplier code
requires contractors to acknowledge Delta’s commitment to enhancing business opportunities for small business,
including minority, veteran, disabled, LGBTQ and women-owned small businesses as first- and second-tiersuppliers, so long as they are competitive on price, quality and service. In 2018, we spent $832 million on thesediverse small business contracts, an 8 percent increase over 2017. We also honored our top diverse suppliers andsupplier diversity advocates at our 19th Annual Star Awards recognition event.

A BETTER CONNECTION THROUGH LISTENING
Our BRGs are often a powerful voice for improvements in the workplace and the sourceof innovative ideas. In 2018, ABLE provided guidance that led Delta to start encouraging
employees and customers with disabilities to self-identify for their own personal safety
while flying.
“Many Delta employees are not aware of the powerful role BRGs play within thecompany,” said Ryan Di Giovanni, Delta Senior Analyst—Revenue Management and Vice
President of ABLE. “Delta’s leadership team not only listens but often turns suggestions
into action. This is one of the reasons that Delta culture is unique and helps to make theDelta difference for employees.”
In addition to ABLE, Delta regularly receives input from its Advisory Board on Disability(ABD), a group of 13 influencers and decision-makers from various groups within the
disability community who are also Delta frequent flyers. This year, Delta hosted its 10th
annual Advisory Board on Disability meeting where Delta employees and board members
met to discuss and share recommendations on compliance, training, policies, procedures
and anything impacting the travel experience of people with disabilities. Recently, theboard offered recommendations for Delta’s assistive device damage reduction strategy,
service animal policies and inclusive marketing tactics, resulting in new policies andsolutions to improve the travel experiences of customers with disabilities.

SAFETY

IN THIS CHAPTER
Integrating Safety in Every Action............29
Safety in the Skies.........................................33

28

SAFETY

INTEGRATING
SAFETY IN
EVERY ACTION
Delta’s unwavering commitment toimproving safety performance acrossall aspects of the business mirrors ourcommitment to sustaining industryleading operational performanceand reliability. Our brand is tightly
tied to customer satisfaction, andsafety is a foundational expectationthat also supports and enables
improvements in performanceand reliability.
29

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Safety is a fundamental value at Delta and woven into everything we do. This means we are never satisfied with oursafety performance, even in areas where we lead the industry. As a shared value, safety connects us as a company
globally—whether taking care of a sick passenger on a flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, replacing a worn tire in
Atlanta, completing a pre-flight checklist in London or inspecting ramp vehicles for safety in New York.
We apply the same rigor and systematic approach to monitoring and enhancing our flight safety and reporting
programs, maintenance reliability systems and personal safety programs as we do to our other operational
processes. The outputs of these processes are regularly reviewed by Delta leaders in monthly and quarterly
performance and analysis reviews, up to and including our Board-level committee on safety and security.

SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMAt the heart of all Delta’s safety programs is our Safety Management System (SMS) that establishes the expectations
for safety performance and defines the tools and methodologies to guide, assess and improve safety every day.
Whether we are protecting our employees, customers, business partners or airplanes, Delta believes in a
structured approach to safety management.
The Delta SMS includes four key elements: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance and Safety
Promotion. These four pillars establish the framework to ensure we manage risk, supported by strong safety
leadership commitment at every level. The SMS is an integrated approach that is applied to safety management
across our business and involves everyone in the organization with a role to identify concerns.

SAFETY

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

preventing future incidents?” Each team took away rich learnings and a realistic setof actions within their control they could take to make a difference. These Reflective
Learning events are just one example of how we are promoting conversations about
safety to be reflective, humble and lead to proactive changes.

Delta’s SMS has matured into a strong, successful and healthy foundation for
managing risk across our daily operational processes. The keys to its successare employee engagement, leadership accountability and communication. Ourfrontline employees are the eyes and ears of our operation and are best positioned
to identify hazards and offer solutions. Constant analysis of systems, processes andprocedures provides ongoing opportunities to proactively identify hazards before
an incident occurs. In 2018 our SMS is well deployed with broad scope to the point
where it is acknowledged to be the “way we do things around here.”

BUILDING A SAFER WORKPLACE
We recognize that reducing injuries at work is achieved by:• Advancing our safety culture to support open reporting, greater focus andawareness of hazards and demonstrating that we care about all employees
and business partners• Changing the way work is done in order to mitigate injury, whether throughtraining, modifying processes or investing in new equipment
We believe that safety starts with great safety leaders. The Delta CARE modelthat was introduced in 2017 has been integrated into our human resources andleadership programs to clearly define and reinforce the desired safety competencies
and behaviors:

C A R E

Communicate
Safety Expectations

AssessRisks

Reinforce
Safety Behaviors

EngageEmployees

The CARE model is a foundational component of our new manager training andleadership development courses in which we describe “what great safety leadershiplooks like.”
Delta is focused on a new training approach to embed safety into employees’ daily
routines. In 2018 we completed over 20 Reflective Learning sessions with leadershipgroups. In these sessions, participants reflected on their safety behaviors and actions—both successes and disappointments. Leaders reviewed recent incidents by asking“How did we as leaders contribute to these events?” and “What is our role in

30

3.9

Total Recordable Injury
Rate (TRIR) was flat to2017, 41% BETTER thanindustry average.

3.09

DELTA DAYS AWAYRESTRICTEDTRANSFERRED RATE

0

WORK-RELATED FATALITIESNEW INITIATIVES IN 2018
In the air, our In-Flight Service team has leveraged the CARE model to develop
an engagement program for frontline leaders to engage positively with flightattendants during a flight. Leaders identify any at-risk behaviors or concerns,
but are focused on recognizing and thanking flight attendants for doing the rightthing. This is simply called the CARE Program.
Another In-Flight Service Safety Program that has proven extremely powerful
is “Moments of Truth.” Five specific scenarios were identified where flightattendants might be conflicted: “Do I do the right thing for customer experience,or do I do the right thing for safety?” Leaders very clearly and consistently
communicated that they would support flight attendants for doing the rightthing for safety.
In 2018 we hired over 2,000 new flight attendants. To ensure they understood theimportance of safety in their new role, In-Flight Service developed Safety Learning
Maps to address common safety scenarios both on-board and during layovers. In
their second month of flying, our new-hire flight attendants participated in highlyinteractive sessions with their peers to select the right safety response for eachscenario and discuss why they made their choice.

SAFETY

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTAll of these In-Flight Service programs complemented the employee-owned
safety program “I’ve Got Your Back—#IGYB” that was initiated in 2017.
On the ground, our Technical Operations team designed and rolled out the SEAT
program for proactive safety observations and conversations in the operation
across the organization. SEAT safety observations adopt a simple model for
at-risk observations:

SEAT
STOP—
the unsafe
activity

ENGAGE—in a friendly
way

AGREE—
on a safer way
to proceed

THANK THEM—
recognize theengagement

To further boost safety awareness this year, we continued to promote andreinforce The Lifesavers, which are lifesaving rules established across all
divisions in late 2017. This initiative included testimonial training videos
featuring lessons learned from employees who sustained an injury. Our own“Havoc” character, who promotes safety by naughtily encouraging unsafe
behaviors around the workplace, also starred in a number of Lifesaver training
videos in 2018. This innovative and engaging awareness training continues tobe both well-received and remembered.
In addition to preventing employee injuries, Delta also implements programs toprevent work-related health issues. In 2018, as an example, we provided employees
traveling internationally on company business with global medical assistancethrough SOS-MedAire. This global medical assistance ensured that approximately
1,000 flight attendant trainees had the opportunity to be vaccinated against
yellow fever in 2018, following several outbreaks in South America.
Delta held its second annual companywide Safety Day in 2018. This year’s
theme asked employees “How Do You Stay Safe?” and encouraged them toshare stories about their experiences and how they keep themselves andothers safe. The 2018 event engaged a far broader cross-section of the Delta
population, and we expect to evolve and build on the Safety Day design
going forward.

A BETTER CONNECTION
LIVING SAFE AT WORK, HOME AND PLAY
Delta line maintenance employees Adam Momeyer, based in Honolulu, andE.J. Esposito, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently demonstrated the Delta
LIVESAFE mindset when saving lives after witnessing a helicopter crash. While
kayaking in Hawaii on their days off, Adam, E.J. and his girlfriend, Carly, spotteda helicopter plummeting into the water yards ahead of them. They reacted
instantly. Adam called 911 and E.J. and Carly swam to the helicopter where theyfound the pilot drifting in and out of consciousness and two other passengers
alert but injured. E.J. rendered first aid to the passengers, while Carly held thepilot’s head above water until emergency response teams arrived to transport
the crash victims to a local hospital.
Some may say it is impossible to prepare for situations like this, but for Delta
employees, anticipating all possible outcomes is crucial for job safety andaccuracy. “I try to expect the unexpected and always be alert in life,” E.J. said. “At
work, we don’t skimp on safety, and we pay close attention to detail—both ofwhich are qualities that were essential when responding to the crash.”

Delta people are always there foreach other—in and out of work.
Delta’s culture of caring for otherpeople is so ingrained in us that
I think our instincts for helping
others took over in the moment.
Delta’s safety-oriented nature
also prompted me to check fordangerous situations like fuel leaks,
explosion hazards and dangerous
broken parts as we carefully
entered the crash site to help.
—Adam Momeyer

Finally, we continue to emphasize that safety extends beyond the workplace
though our mission: “LIVESAFE—At Work, At Home, At Play.” This message reflects
our understanding that the best way to support our employees and realize lastingchange is by incorporating safe behaviors into all aspects of our daily lives.

31

An exceptional example of what it means to serve others while maintaining
safety-first core values, Adam, E.J. and Carly embody what it means to LIVESAFE
at work, at home and at play. Delta recognized both employees with “Saved
the Day” awards to acknowledge their outstanding presence of mind while
responding to the crash.

SAFETY

USING TECHNOLOGY TO STAY SAFE
A number of dedicated efforts were made in 2018 to improve both the working
environment and the equipment our employees and partners utilize daily.
Our Airport Customer Service (ACS) team continues to look at ways to minimize
the exposures inherent in working on the ramp and handling bags. We
introduced 39 power stow belt loaders in 2018 with plans for another 55 in
2019. These belt loaders reduce the exposure of baggage handlers to motionrelated injuries while manually stacking bags in the aircraft hold. We continue
to look at a number of potential solutions and technologies that would
reduce the number of touch points our ACS teams make with bags. Anothertechnology-driven solution introduced by ACS in 2018 was a new safety appthat allows employees and leaders to report hazards, conduct safety audits
and complete safety observations—all on their mobile device.

Following the introduction of IOS system devices for flight attendants and pilots in
2018, we continue to add to our existing range of apps to make reporting easierfor our employees. One example is turbulence surveys to support simpler
reporting by flight attendants of the critical facts following a turbulence event.
Another highly successful In-Flight Service initiative is a robust tagging and

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

tracking system to ensure broken carts are systematically removed from the system
and repaired. Cart injuries are among the most common injuries among flightattendants. In TechOps our maintenance team identified a systemic problem withladders and stands being used incorrectly across the system and posing a risk.
Following a rigorous review and an inventory of stock, additional ladders andstands were introduced across the system, and new guidance issued for which
specific ladder/stand to use for specific tasks.

RECOGNIZING SAFE FACILITIESDelta’s Quality Assurance (QA) team conducts audits at our airports to review
required documentation and interview employees to confirm that safety
expectations are met. In 2018, this team completed over 1,000 detailed safety
audits across our domestic and international airports. These reports go alongwith leadership’s local self-audits to identify areas that need attention. Data
from these evaluations also are used when investigating incidents to correlatecausal factors and identify topics that may need systemwide attention.

Delta is proud to have 21 OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star
locations in the United States and is still the only major airline with OSHA
Corporate VPP status. In 2018 we added the Iron Range Minnesota Customer
Engagement Center to our existing list of VPP locations. There are just over
2,000 VPP sites across the United States.
At Delta’s VPP sites, the rate of on-the-job injury and illness is far lower than theindustry average: 1.38 injuries per 100 employees, compared to the air transportationindustry average of 6.6. In addition, the OSHA recordable injury rate at our VPP
facilities is 61.5 percent better than non-VPP Delta sites and 79 percent better than
the industry average.

32

SAFETY

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTSAFETYIN THE SKIESIn most cases, our proactive safety culture allows us to exceed regulatory standards. The goal of Delta’s Flight
Safety program is to identify and eliminate hazards before they cause injuries to people or damage to aircraft
or facilities. This includes both how we operate aboard our aircraft and how we respond to external risks andthat could affect data.

Ensuring the health, safety andsecurity of our customers isparamount. To fulfill this promise
to our customers while providing
the highest levels of service inthe air and on the ground, we
ensure that all safety policies andprocedures either meet or exceed
the best safety practices of theairline industry.

Onboard recorders measure thousands of aircraft parameters, producing enormous amounts of data thatallow us to identify vulnerabilities and areas for improvement. Delta Flight Safety employs a data modelingand analysis team that continuously monitors system performance to identify risk and implement effective
operational solutions proactively. The data we gather is also used to produce animated videos that we use
for training purposes.
Delta has invested in technology that greatly expands our pilots’ awareness of turbulence and other
weather conditions. Several years ago, Delta participated in a collaborative project with the FAA and the
National Center for Atmospheric Research that developed a product called Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR).
EDR provides real-time depictions of the location and severity of turbulence in a given area, allowing pilots
to adjust routes as needed to reduce the potential for an injury and improve customers’ in-flight experience.
Delta’s proprietary turbulence tool—Delta’s Flight Weather Viewer—is unique in the industry. As we makeenhancements to in-flight WiFi connectivity, the weather viewer availability is increased.
Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) is the program we use to ensure the safety and efficiencyof flights. The success of FOQA requires the cooperation of diverse stakeholders and is a testament to thestrength of relationships and safety focus of the management and labor teams at Delta. Additionally, we use
this valuable information for predictive maintenance, propulsion engineering and fuel savings.
The Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is a voluntary reporting best practice for front-line operational
employees that encourages proactive and confidential hazard and near-miss reporting. ASAP emboldens ahealthy safety culture through its collaborative approach to risk identification and mitigation—offering Delta
pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, ACS agents, dispatchers and load planners a human factor-focusedsafety program that allows for group learning and continuous improvement.

33

SAFETY

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTENSURING SECURE FLIGHTS AND RAPIDEMERGENCY RESPONSE
Our world is increasingly characterized by geopolitical change and uncertainty.
This requires us to be ready to respond swiftly to security challenges that
could threaten our customers or employees. Delta continues to evolve
our security program, taking a proactive approach to addressing risks andminimizing impacts and working with government and airport partners to
expand customer service security initiatives. In close collaboration with U.S.
government partners, we conduct regular threat assessments of all locations
Delta serves to ensure appropriate levels of protection. Delta also relies on
employees with security clearances to guide our response to emerging or
existing threats, which could include diverting flights en route to safeguard
our customers, people and assets—above and beyond government guidance.
In 2018, our security team implemented a range of initiatives to help ensure thesafety of our people and campuses. These initiatives included equipment upgrades
for traffic controls; access control and video monitoring at corporate offices andairport facilities; approval of an employee-at-risk framework with a focus on
foreign travel and executive protection; and enhancement of identification badge
processes. In response to employee concerns, we also introduced new enterprisewide training about how to respond to an armed attack, as well as several initiatives
aimed at keeping employees more aware of crime patterns and risks.
Delta’s “All Hazards” approach guides our Business Continuity and Emergency
Response teams in facilitating a companywide framework that proactively
identifies threats that have the potential to disrupt our business. Some threats
are outside of Delta’s control; thus our Corporate Crisis Center response protocol
places less emphasis on the actual event type, and more on the training andexperience of our divisional responders. Their understanding of our response
process, along with being closely attuned with how their area of responsibility
fits into the response process as a whole, allows us to quickly develop an
incident action plan that guides the strategy for response efforts. This ability
to manage the business disruption reduces recovery time while providing forthe safety and security of our customers and employees. Frequent drills andsimulations keep our responders familiar with response processes and equipped
to respond at a moment’s notice.
In 2018, Delta initiated an Airport Hub Risk Assessment. The project aims to
improve our understanding of resiliency associated with our largest hub
airports. The initial focus on hub airports is due to the magnitude of customer
impact and the coordination required in the event of a major disruption at alarge international airport. While the underlying causes of disruptions can vary,
the end result can mean the cancellation of hundreds of flights, and possibly
include a full or partial evacuation of the airport. Participating agencies include
the airport authority, airlines and a multitude of state and federal agencies
who must all react in a unified manner to ensure the safety and security ofour traveling public and employees.

34

An important part of Delta’s Emergency Response program is the Delta CareTeam. This all-volunteer group of employees—more than 2,600 team members
strong—is highly trained to work with survivors and families impacted by anaircraft accident involving a Delta or partner aircraft. This highly diverse team ison standby 24/7, ready to deploy anywhere in the world. Their goal is to establish
immediate and continual communications between Delta and the survivors/families affected by an accident or incident, and to respond to their needs bothover the phone and in person.

SAFETY

PROTECTING CUSTOMER HEALTH
Delta’s commitment to customers’ safety clearly includes taking care of themduring flight. Our in-flight medical capabilities provide best-in-class safety thatexceeds FAA regulatory guidance for onboard medical equipment, supplies,
medication and ground medical physician support through the Universityof Pittsburgh Medical Center. Delta also accommodates passenger-specific,
battery-operated medical devices, including portable oxygen concentrators thathave been preapproved by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Delta
to ensure compatibility with aviation electronic systems.
In rare cases, customers may need assistance that goes beyond the treatment
we can provide in flight. That’s why we voluntarily contract with STAT-MD,
a division of emergency medicine services of the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center. STAT-MD provides 24/7 ground-based medical support for all
domestic and international in-flight medical events, in addition to pre-flight
medical fitness-to-fly consultative support. STAT-MD physician consultants areboard-certified emergency medicine physicians who understand Delta’s onboard
medical capabilities and the effects of altitude on physiology in flight. During
in-flight medical occurrences, these trained physicians consult from the groundand provide treatment recommendations, which could include diverting a flightto the closest airport to provide a patient with more immediate medical care.
This consultation happens in collaboration with pilots in the flight deck, flightattendant first responders, customer medical volunteers, if available, and theflight’s dispatcher from the Operations and Customer Center.

35

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTSAFETY

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTHANDLING POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS GOODS
Another important component of flight safety is the safe handling of dangerous
goods. Delta’s Dangerous Goods Management Group manages and oversees
handling of dangerous goods, as well as implementation of companywide
dangerous goods policies.
Due to strict regulations by domestic and international authorities related toacceptance, handling and transportation of dangerous goods, our program isoperated as part of our quality management system. The program is tasked withestablishing hazardous materials and dangerous goods standards, evaluating
operations against those standards, recommending appropriate improvements
and promoting awareness and compliance.
Delta understands the risks associated with carrying regulated materials on-board
and accepts and transports hazardous materials through our Cargo/Airport Customer
Service division, as well as transporting company-required materials to TechOps
facilities. Delta’s HazMat program is fully compliant with applicable regulations,as well as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) technical instructions.
Further ensuring the safety of our employees and customers, all Delta employees
who may be required to handle any type of hazardous materials are trained
annually through an FAA-approved training program.
Due to the continued risks posed by potential lithium ion battery fires frompersonal electronic devices (PED), we continue to focus on addressing this safetyissue with thermal runaway bags on all flights. While the initiative itself wascompleted in 2017 a focus on PEDs allows Delta to address hundreds of batteries
on any given flight.
We continue to work with our Sky Team alliance partners to better communicate
our prohibited items policies to customers. Our aim is to reduce confusion forcustomers across the alliance, making the process for handling dangerous goods
more effective and efficient.

SAFETY ACROSS OUR NETWORK
Delta is committed to safety collaboration with airline partners beyond
what regulations require. This oversight includes codeshare partners andmembers of our Sky Team alliance. The FAA requires audits of each of our36partners every two years. These audits last roughly five days each andinclude hundreds of elements, ranging from flight operations to cabinmaintenance, in order to meet IATA standards. In between audits, wemonitor major changes and any safety, security or quality incidents.
We believe that these standards are purely a foundation. The Corporate
Safety team engages with partners to ensure we are operating at consistentlevels across our network. Delta and its alliance partners are committed tosafety and security across all partnerships through:• Monthly sessions with our Delta Connection partners; each partner reports
on safety and security metrics, shares corrective actions and mitigationplans on safety hazards.
• Routine sessions with heads of safety for each of the 19 SkyTeam partners.
This organization includes six working groups that focus on operationalsafety, ground safety, emergency response, quality and compliance,and security.
• Dedicated sessions with our equity and joint venture partners.
Delta also participates in and leads multiple industrywide safety initiatives.
For example, we participate in a working group that uses the FAA’s Aviation
Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system. ASIAS promotes
openly exchanging of de-identified safety information to continuously raiseawareness and standards in the industry. We also are an active participant
leader and member of the Flight Safety Foundation, Commercial Aviation
Safety Team (CAST), National Safety Council and International Society of Air
Safety Investigators.

Delta completed installation of PED overheat
containment kits on its entire fleet.

CUSTOMERSATISFACTION
IN THIS CHAPTER
Delivering Superior Customer Service............. 38
Extraordinary Circumstances............................. 39
Welcoming Everyone Onboard...........................41
Transforming Travel Through Technology...... 42
Delta’s Biometric Terminal.................................. 43
Protecting Our Digital Assets.............................44
Being Responsible With Customer Data.........4637

CUSTOMERSATISFACTION

DELIVERING
SUPERIORCUSTOMERSERVICEDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Building lasting relationships with ourcustomers is one of Delta’s priorities. To
do this, we strive each day to provide
the safest, most reliable and convenientexperience possible on every flight andthrough every interaction.

This includes calls to our Customer Engagement Centers and customer inquiries through social media. Delta Air
Lines Elite Contact Center was recognized in 2018 by J.D. Power for providing “An Outstanding Customer Service
Experience” for phone support . Delta continues to enhance the travel experience through innovation, streamlined
security procedures and an unrelenting focus on safety. We also continue to invest in customer-facing employees,
providing training to more than 9,000 of them during 2018 to further enhance customer interactions.
We recognize that we are only as good as our ability to get customers to their destinations reliably and on time.
For this reason, we consider completions, or flights that arrive without cancellation, and on-time arrivals
among the key measures of customer satisfaction performance. We set monthly and annual
goals for these metrics for both Delta and Delta Connection partners, and award
bonuses to our employees for meeting or exceeding these goals.

In 2018, we achieved a record 251 days without canceling any mainline flights, including 143 days with no system cancellations on the entire Delta platform—a 58.9 percent
increase from our record achieved in 2017. In addition, 85.7 percent of our flights were on time across the network. Recognizing Delta’s strong performance, FlightGlobal
awarded Delta “Most On-time North American Mainline,” “Most On-time North American Network Airline,” and “Most On-time International Mainline Airline.”
In 2018, the Delta Connection group, which is our five-carrier regional network, achieved 164 days of zero flight cancellations. The group achieved this level of performancethrough an intense focus on delivering reliable customer experience. When an individual Delta Connection carrier is unable to complete a flight due to a mechanical or otherissue, often another carrier will step in and substitute that flight to ensure customers get to their destination with little or no disruption.
Last year, Endeavor Air, Delta’s wholly owned regional subsidiary, jumped in to substitute 197 flights operated byanother regional carrier that would have otherwise been canceled. Combined, the Delta Connection operation
posted a 98.4 percent completion factor and nearly 72 percent on-time departures for the first six months of theyear. In addition, 81.3 percent of Delta Connection flights were on time across the network for the year.

251 DAYS

without canceling any mainline flights

143 DAYS
with no system cancellations
on the entire Delta platform

38

58.9%
increase from 2017

Delta takes the pulse of our customers using Net Promoter Scores, a standard tool for measuring customer
satisfaction. Recognizing that customer satisfaction is driven by all aspects of the flight experience, from a smoothboarding process and technology upgrades to interactions with Delta employees, we are making investmentsin each of these areas. Training for Delta people now includes a focus on how interactions with customers candirectly affect Net Promoter Scores and, in turn, customer loyalty and company revenue.
During 2018, we sustained our strong record of customer satisfaction levels, with higher Net Promoter Scores inevery region and a four-point improvement overall . We will continue to build on this success with investments in
our products and people, as well as more than $12 billion in airport facility projects planned over the next decade.
Our performance on our customers’ behalf in 2018 also included $2 billion of investment in partnerships with
global airlines in order to give our customers even more choice.

CUSTOMERSATISFACTION

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTEXTRAORDINARY
CIRCUMSTANCES
Our investments and operating discipline are especially important when we are faced with events that are beyond our control, such as extreme
weather events or security incidents. 2018 saw an active storm season, with Delta weathering storms across Hawaii, the U.S. Gulf Coast, Japanand the Korean peninsula, all of which resulted in disruptions to regular operations. Through it all, Delta people provided our customers thevery best service in the industry, and customer satisfaction during such events has improved 5.5 points year over year, based on data collectedon every flight.
Recovery from major events like these is crucial to maintaining customer trust. We have reinforced our readiness for these unforeseenchallenges through our Irregular Operations Steering Committee, consisting of senior leaders from each operational division. This group has
developed a cross-divisional manual of agreed-upon actions to aid in recovery from a disruption.

Key elements include:

1
Dispatching
additional flightcrew resources toaffected cities

2
Setting up
cross-divisional
communications
coordinators

3
Establishingautomatedalerting
for airport
congestion

4
Predetermining
overtime
requirements

5
Establishingremote work
resources toaid duringhigh workload
periods

6
Creating
responsechecklists
for key
operational
positions7
Developingscorecards forevaluating teams’
performance on
certain missioncritical tasks
during debriefings

Additional keys to keeping satisfaction high during extraordinary circumstances have been advance planning, proactive communication andsupport in airports for impacted customers. For example, when severe weather or other events disrupt operations, Delta may issue a travel
waiver to give customers the chance to take alternate flights without paying a change fee. To make it easier for customers to know when awaiver is available, Delta now notifies customers via email or text when they are traveling from, through or to a market with a waiver. A pilot
test of the tool drove a significant increase in customer satisfaction scores.

A BETTER CONNECTION
THROUGH LEARNING
Delta customers now have a new way to make the most of
their time in flight—learning. LinkedIn Learning courses areavailable free of charge through Delta’s in-flight entertainment
platform, Delta Studio. Expert instructors teach the courses,
which cover a variety of topics like managing stress, productivity,communication and career development.

39

CUSTOMERSATISFACTION

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTA BETTER CONNECTION
THROUGH PREPAREDNESS

Delta is in a unique position to support customers and communities
in a world in which severe weather and natural disasters seemingly
increase with every year. Over the years, we have honed our
preparations and response processes for communities affectedby hurricanes and other natural disasters. Our response before
and after such events is comprehensive.
First and foremost, to aid evacuations, Delta’s revenue
management team has formalized a process to cap fares to andfrom impacted areas so that people trying to evacuate have a
cost-effective way to leave and return home safely. Delta also
identifies the need for additional aircraft and crew in impacted
areas and deploys extra flights to add seat and cargo capacity.
An extra flight, for example, was added from Honolulu to Los
Angeles in August 2018 ahead of Hurricane Lane. As was the caselast year, Delta also operates humanitarian flights, sometimes at
the request of government officials, to move Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Red Cross and other aid workers into
communities to help them recover following a storm.
Delta Cargo further supports humanitarian efforts by shipping
relief supplies free of charge. This year we formalized the
Employee Relief Shipment Program, developed in the midst of40

2017 Hurricane Maria’s aftermath. Through the program, Delta
employees donated 200,000 pounds of supplies in addition
to the 600,000 pounds of relief supplies that Delta carriedfollowing the summer and fall hurricanes.
Over the last two years, Delta has continued to enhance its
Peach Corps, a network of hundreds of employee-volunteers withvarying levels of customer service experience, who are called uponto support when the operation is in need. Whether that’s during asignificant weather event or the terminal move in LAX, for example,
the Peach Corps is a key component of the airline’s broader
significant irregular operations plan and can be activated quickly
to assist with customer meet and greet, wayfinding, line control,
customer comfort and other service recovery functions.
Remaining committed to supporting larger relief efforts, The
Delta Air Lines Foundation contributes $1 million annually to
the American Red Cross as an Annual Disaster Giving Program
member to help the organization prepare for disaster recovery
before an event occurs. In addition, in 2018, The Delta Air Lines
Foundation contributed $500,000 to the American Red Cross to
aid relief efforts in the Carolinas and surrounding areas as a resultof Hurricane Florence.

CUSTOMERSATISFACTION

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTWELCOMING EVERYONE
ONBOARD
Delta is proud to serve all customers and committed
to providing the same high level of service to all. We
have an uncompromising policy to never discriminate
against any customer. This not only complies
with legal requirements applicable in the varied
jurisdictions to which we fly, but also aligns with ourcore values and mission to provide the best possible
travel experience and customer service for all.
Delta maintains a Disability Program office in our Corporate Safety, Security
and Compliance division. This team is responsible for providing input for Delta’s
nondiscrimination policy with regard to reasonable accommodations for ourcustomers with disabilities. The team also partners with service and operationalorganizations throughout the company to ensure that our people understandpolicies and procedures, as well as applicable government regulations.
A key resource supporting these efforts is the work of our Advisory Board on
Disability (ABD), a volunteer organization comprised of 13 customer-members
representing a spectrum of persons with disabilities. These members represent
academic, business and health care backgrounds and consult with Delta on issuesof concern and help to craft policies and procedures aimed at removing barriers totravel. Current projects include service and support animal policies, reducing damage
to wheelchairs and other assistive devices, and designs for Delta’s airport terminalsof the future.
As part of our commitment to customers, we carry approximately 700 service andsupport animals daily, adding up to nearly 250,000 per year. Lack of regulation in
health and training screening for service and support animals, however, has led
some travelers to stretch the true intent of service animal policies, using fraudulent
certification paperwork. When animals that have not undergone the rigorous training
required of true service and support animals board our flights, they pose a risk tocustomers—and do a disservice to individuals who have real and documented
needs. Our ABD has provided guidance on defining policies and procedures related
to support and service animals that establish how we can best accommodate thelegitimate needs of customers with disabilities, while preventing service and support
animal incidents.

41

In March 2018, a new policy went into effect with the following requirements:
Customers Traveling With Trained Service Animals• Check in via Delta.com, the Fly Delta mobile app, airport kiosks or with anairport agent
Customers Traveling With Emotional Support or Psychiatric Service Animals Must Provide• A signed Veterinary Health form and/or an immunization record• Emotional Support/Psychiatric Service Animal Request Form
• Letter prepared and signed by licensed mental health professional• Signed Confirmation of Animal Training Form
• Check in with airport agent
The policy was updated in July to include introducing a limit of one emotional support
animal per customer per flight and no longer accepting pit bull-type dogs as service or
support animals. These updates were implemented in light of incidents in which several
employees and a customer were bitten and injured.
Delta’s Service Animal Support Desk aims to simplify the travel experience for customers
traveling with service and support animals. The desk verifies receipt of all required
documentation and confirms the customer’s reservation to travel with an emotional
support or psychiatric service animal before arrival at the airport.

CUSTOMERSATISFACTION

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTTRANSFORMING TRAVEL
THROUGH TECHNOLOGYAs technology transforms so many aspectsof modern life, Delta is making investments
in technology that are enhancing thecustomer experience in new ways.
For example, thanks to recent advancements in biometrics technology,
facial and fingerprint scans are beginning to replace boarding passes
and government-issued IDs. Biometric verification provides a higher
level of accuracy, and thus a higher level of security, than paperboarding passes and frees up agents to better assist customers withneeds, such as seat changes, prior to flight. The technology also gives
customers less to keep track of as they move through the airport,
allowing them to travel faster and more seamlessly than ever.
Delta has been partnering with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection(US CBP) and CLEAR for over three years on pilot programs to test
biometric screening. In 2018, Delta, in partnership with US CBP, launched
the first biometric terminal in Atlanta’s Maynard H Jackson International
Terminal. This optional, end-to-end Delta biometrics experience enables
all international passengers flying on Delta, Aeromexico, Air FranceKLM and Virgin Atlantic to use facial recognition technology to:• Check in at self-service kiosks in the lobby• Drop checked baggage at lobby counters• Serve as identification at the TSA checkpoint• Board a flight at any gate in Terminal F• Go through CBP processing for international travelers entering the U.S.
Based on initial testing, facial recognition not only saves up to nine minutes
per flight, but also frees employees to have more meaningful interactions
with customers throughout the journey.
Delta continues to make significant improvements to customers’ in-flighttechnology experience, further closing the gap of what customers can
expect on the ground and in the air. Some of the most notable improvements
include expanding our high-speed, gate-to-gate Wi-Fi to over 60 percent
of mainline aircraft; implementing Wi-Fi connection enhancements;
providing a streamlined and responsive Wi-Fi portal design; and introducing
Gogo day pass transferability on Aeroméxico’s Gogo-equipped aircraft.
Delta is also expanding and enhancing its onboard entertainment options byequipping more planes with live TV, allowing customers to stay connected

42

FIRST
BIOMETRIC

terminal launched in Atlanta’s
Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal
to real-time news, content and sporting events. In early 2019, we introduced
a new wireless in-flight entertainment system on the A220 across all cabins.
The wireless seatback entertainment system will allow for easier updates andrepairs over the lifetime of the aircraft. This system will transfer content to thescreen wirelessly, allowing for fewer wires and less weight on the aircraft.
We continue to generate new ideas through investments such as The Hangar,a global innovation center that taps into top university talent; Engage, anAtlanta-based accelerator that supports technology startups and of which
Delta is a founding supporter; and Innovative Flight Experience weekends
for employees meant to generate solutions from within our business. Allof these efforts are helping to deliver a digital transformation of Delta
that makes the travel experience a smoother one for our customers.

DELTA’S BIOMETRIC TERMINALTHE FIRST BIOMETRIC TERMINAL IN THE U.S. AND HOW IT WORKSOPTIONAL FACIAL
RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGYSPOTS FROM CURB TO GATE
Check-In
Kiosks

THE PROCESS

Delta sends customer
manifest to U.S.
Customs and Border
Protection (CBP)

Customer phototaken at touchpoint

CBP sends
verification withindicator to proceed

Customer ison their way

Check-In
Counters
TSA Security
Checkpoints
Boarding
Gates

Encrypted, deidentified photo sent
via secure CBP channel
to verify against flight
manifest gallery

CBP creates a photogallery based on
the manifest

CBP records who has
departed the country

CUSTOMER BENEFITS

More Options

Seamless Technology

Saves Time

Safe and Secure

CUSTOMERSATISFACTIONPROTECTING OURDIGITAL ASSETS

Technology is a common thread across all
improvements to the customer experience.
As such, information security is essential toDelta. To operate effectively in a large, diverse
environment and compete successfully in
the global economy, Delta commits to having
information assets that are secure, accurate andaccessible. We make the security and privacy of
our customers’ personal information a top priority.
Like most businesses and organizations, our information and technology
systems are subject to increasing threats of continually evolving risk. Delta
defines information security as the protection of information assets and the
management of risks to those assets. Delta’s management strongly supports arobust and active information security program for its business worldwide. The
Information Security and Privacy program ensures the confidentiality, integrity
and availability of the information necessary to achieve long-term businesssuccess. It also maintains the privacy of all Delta employees and customers.
To carry out our mission, Delta focuses on five layers of protection: identify,
protect, detect, respond and recover. All Delta employees are expected to playtheir part in maintaining general information security and privacy as they handle
corporate and customer information in their job functions.

44

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTIn 2018 we continued to improve our information security and privacy to improvereliability and enhance capabilities. In 2017 Delta Information Technology opened adisaster recovery data center, following the August 8, 2016, outage that hit theairline’s operations, employees and customers. What would normally take two years
to implement took just 11 months for Delta IT, upholding Delta’s promise to have a
backup data center in place to streamline disaster recovery efforts. While the data
center has been operational since 2017, this enhancement allows for Delta IT torecover operations and allows the center to play an ongoing role in providing more
resilient business operations.
We also reduced the risk of technology system failures to our operations throughadditional disaster recovery processes and heightened emphasis on our Information
Security and Privacy program.
Delta’s information security efforts that support our global operations include:• Cyber Monitoring and Assurance whose mission is to protect Delta Air
Lines through technical expertise in the Cyber Monitoring and Assurance
arena, strengthening Delta’s front line of defense against a rapidly shifting
threat environment.
• Enterprise Identity Services is a multi-phased, multi-year implementation thataims to establish core Identity and Access Management services for employees,
contractors and business partners through new capabilities, maturation ofexisting solutions and sunsetting legacy systems.
• Information Risk and Compliance programs establish policies and standards,
conduct assessments and promote security-related training and awarenessprograms, as well as ensuring compliance with legislation and regulatory
requirements.

CUSTOMERSATISFACTION
Delta also seeks the opinions of industry experts to ensure that our Information
Security program remains effective. In 2018, a third-party assessment found Delta’s
ability to defend against security threats to be above the industry standard.
Delta employees are the first line of defense against information security threats,
and a workforce that is trained and aware of information security policies andprocesses helps to reduce the security risk to Delta’s information assets. Training
regarding data protection-related privacy policies and processes is available
for all personnel. All employees with access to Delta systems must complete
information security awareness training upon hire and on an annual basis.
We have extended our mandatory Information Security Awareness Training
for new hires to include 78 percent more employees and contractors than inprevious years.
Our Information Security Awareness program includes an expert speaker
series, and awareness and engagement events in conjunction with large
corporate events such as Relay for Life and LEAD, our twice-yearly leadership
meeting. The team also participates in National Cybersecurity AwarenessMonth in October and Data Privacy Day in January. Awareness campaigns
throughout the year focus on hot topics such as phishing, antitampering,data classification, password protection and ensuring a secure workspace.
Training and awareness activities serve to not only educate employees about
how to protect Delta’s information assets, but also to give employees andtheir families the tools they need to protect themselves in the digital world.
Delta’s membership in information security-related organizations allows Delta
to remain engaged with the broader aviation community, sharing best practices
in security and benefiting from shared intelligence information.

45

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTA BETTER CONNECTION
THROUGH NEXT-GEN TALENT
Delta seeks the brightest talent possible to keep our systems
and customer data secure. Through our partnership with Cristo
Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, we are honing the skills of thenext generation of cybersecurity professionals. Four students
from the high school work with Delta over the academic year
to gain real-world skills, contacts and experience as part of ourInformation Security team. This partnership helps us to createa more diverse information systems team, capable of building
stronger cybersecurity defenses.

CUSTOMERSATISFACTION

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTBEINGRESPONSIBLE
WITH
CUSTOMER
DATA
Delta carries millions ofcustomers each year, andwe have a responsibility
to protect the privacyof the information that
customers entrust to us
when they choose Delta as
their airline. At the core of
Delta’s global commitment
to data protection is ourPrivacy Policy.

We collect and process only the personal data that is necessary for achieving the purposes set forthin our Privacy Policy and have established appropriate physical, electronic and managerial safeguards
to protect the information we collect. These safeguards are regularly reviewed to protect against
unauthorized access, disclosure and improper use of customer information, and to maintain theaccuracy and integrity of that data. In the event of policy changes or a data breach, we communicate
with customers in a timely manner and provide assistance to those who may have been impacted byan incident.
In 2018, a third-party vendor providing online chat services notified Delta about an incident in whichcustomer payment information may have been accessed during a 16-day period in 2017. The incident was
contained, and, in response, Delta discontinued business with this vendor. We also partnered with AllClear
ID, a leading customer security and fraud protection firm, to offer two free years of their suite of credit
monitoring services to customers who may have been impacted.
Delta’s privacy practices are explained to our customers on our website. Topics include our Privacy Policy,
Policy for Mobile Applications and extensive information on customer privacy and data security. We andother U.S. carriers are subject to laws regarding privacy of customer and employee data that vary between
the countries in which we operate.
In 2018 the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect standardizing
privacy laws across Europe and requiring Delta and any organization that processes EU citizens’ personal
data (customers and employees) to comply. New processes include controls for data minimization,
stricter adherence to data retention policies, updates to employee and customer-facing applications,establishing “opt-in” features, and changes to access permissions for systems and applications
processing personal data.

46

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPIN THIS CHAPTER
Climate Change................................. 48
Environmental Compliance............55
Managing & Mitigating Spills........57
Protecting Air Quality......................59
Aircraft Drinking Water.................. 60
Waste Management......................... 61

47

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTa responsible business, we remain mindful of the impact of
ENVIRONMENTAL As
our global decisions. Nowhere is this clearer than in our view
IMPACTSand approach to reducing carbon emissions and managing ourenvironmental impacts. Environmental responsibility at Delta
includes not only quantifying and reducing our emissions that
result primarily from the burning of jet fuel, but also minimizing
the impact of activities throughout our global business.
While air travel accounts for only about 2 percent of total global carbon
emissions, we recognize the contribution of emissions to climatechange and our role in helping to mitigate the carbon footprint of air
travel. As a leading sustainability-focused airline, we are committed toworking with partners across our industry to find meaningful businesssolutions that decrease our impact.
The greatest contributor to Delta’s environmental footprint—and
therefore our biggest opportunity—is our use of jet fuel. With the goalof making progress on reduction, we approach climate efforts in a variety
of ways, including:• Committing to meet international targets for emissions reduction;• Replacing older aircraft with more fuel-efficient aircraft;• Continuing to make improvements to existing aircraft;• Purchasing carbon offsets annually to mitigate the emissions fromflights; and• Continuing to seek impactful and innovative energy efficiency
projects in the facilities we own or operate.
As global climate change issues continue to influence the airline
industry, Delta is firmly committed to our industry-aligned, three-part
approach to climate change that includes short-term, medium-termand long-term climate goals. The opportunity to address climatechange risks has driven us to proactively track metrics and model future
impacts related to both physical and regulatory risk. Physical risks
include passenger safety issues due to increased turbulence events andmore irregular operation days due to weather events. Regulatory risks
include meeting the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EUETS) requirements, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation(CORSIA), and other potential environmental and emissions-reduction
schemes. To help address these climate-related risks, Delta has integrated
expected carbon costs into fleet planning and purchasing strategies, as well
as fuel-efficiency approaches.

48

Due to the scope of Delta’s emerging risks, including environmental
sustainability and climate change, our strategic approach to addressing
risk is part of a company-wide risk management process. This process
works at both the divisional and board level through various Board of
Directors committees. Ultimate oversight of environmental sustainability
and climate change programs falls to the Board of Directors’ Corporate
Governance Committee. In addition, a cross-divisional council—the Delta
Risk, Privacy and Compliance Council—develops risk mitigation strategies
and updates its assessment of risks as operational conditions change.
While corporate oversight falls to the Governance Committee of
the Board of Directors, day-to-day management of climate change
and environmental sustainability issues is the responsibility of
the Managing Director of Global Environment, Sustainability andCompliance, who reports to the Senior Vice President of Corporate
Safety, Security and Compliance (CSSC). The Senior Vice Presidentof CSSC is responsible for setting the direction and standards forenvironmental performance at Delta and chairs the Executive
Environment Leadership Council (EELC). The EELC, a senior-level
executive council responsible for the approval of our environmental
sustainability and emissions strategies, programs and annual goals,
also provides advice and recommendations to the CEO and Corporate
Leadership Team on issues related to environmental sustainability,
resilience planning and climate change issues and efforts.
In 2018, the Board of Directors Governance Committee received climate
and environmental briefings in April and October, while the EELC met inAugust to discuss ongoing strategic efforts.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Responding to New Regulations
Many parts of the world are introducing regulations to limit carbon
emissions produced by various entities. For example, under the EU ETS,
any flight originating from and landing in the European Union is currently
subject to the ETS. If an airline exceeds its free emissions allowances under
the ETS, it must purchase additional ones. Currently, Delta’s flights under
the EU ETS obligation are typically intra-EU diversions and charters.
As the regulatory landscape changes and evolves in the U.S. and abroad, we
may face added regulations, taxes or permitting requirements related to ouremissions, including requirements from multiple jurisdictions for the same
operations. As a result of ongoing discussions between the U.S. and othernations, the ICAO adopted CORSIA, a global, market-based emissions offset
program, which begins a baseline period for monitoring, reporting andverification in 2019.

Aligning With Industry Climate
Change Goals
Delta has a Carbon Emissions Policy that supports achieving theindustry’s short-, medium- and long-term emission reduction goals. The
responsibility for review of our progress falls to our EELC. In addition,
Delta leadership compensation is tied to performance, which includes
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) sustainability efforts that
include operations, financial, customer service, employee and social
responsibility goals. Because fuel accounts for a significant portion of
Delta’s costs, any efforts to save fuel directly impact Delta’s bottom line,
which in turn affects bonus pools and profit sharing for all employees.

CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS
Improve fuel efficiency by anaverage of 1.5 percent per year

Achieve carbon-neutral growth oninternational aircraft emissions

Reduce net aviation CO2 emissions by
50 percent, relative to 2005 emissions levels

Short-term

Medium-termLong-term

2009-20202021-2035

By 2050

HOW IT IS
MEASURED

Fuel needed to carry a set amount ofweight a certain distance (expressed
as gallons per 100 revenue ton miles)

CO2 emissions for international
flights from 2021 onward

Net aircraft emissions in 2050
compared to 2005

WHAT
DELTA IS
DOING

Fleet upgrades, rightsizing onboard
provisions to decrease weight, reducing
auxiliary power unit use (see page 50)

Carbon offsets (see pages 52-53)

Annual fuel savings initiatives (see page 50)

9.16% improvement since 2009;
1.02% average per year

Carbon-neutral growth on international,
domestic and ground emissions since 2012

11% reduction since 2005

GOAL

HORIZON

TIME-FRAME

OUR PROGRESS49

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIRLINES,
INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
Delta
Performance

Short-Term Goal: Improve Fuel Efficiency

FUEL EFFICIENCY

The industry’s short-term goal is to improve fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5 percent
annually from 2009 to 2020. The IATA goal is measured by gallons per revenue ton miles(RTM), or the amount of fuel needed to carry one revenue ton a distance of one mile.
RTM is measured by multiplying the estimated weight of passengers plus actual cargo
carried by the distance it was flown. This efficiency goal accommodates business growth.
In 2018, Delta’s fuel efficiency improved 1.23 percent compared to 2017, when a 2.21 percent
year-over-year improvement was recorded. In 2018, our RTM grew by 3.24 percent, while
total fuel use increased only 1.95 percent. Since 2009, Delta’s fuel efficiency has improved
by 9.16 percent, an average of 1.02 percent annually.

16.73 16.20 16.28 15.87 16.03
16.73 16.48 16.24 15.99 15.75

15.72
15.52

15.72
15.28

15.74 15.39 15.20
15.05 14.83 14.61

2009

2014

2015

2016

2010

2011

2012

2013

2017

2018

Delta Progress (gallons per 100 RTM)
IATA Goal of 1.5% average annual improvement

INNOVATIONS TO IMPROVE FUEL EFFICIENCY
We view Delta aircraft as long-term investments. While the body of a plane may stay in
our fleet for up to 30 years, we are continually working to improve the efficiency of allaircraft both inside and out. Fuel-efficiency improvements must also be balanced withincreasing demands on customer comfort and connectivity that often result in increased
weight. Accordingly, we continuously seek innovative ways to increase the efficiency of
our existing fleet.
Ongoing efforts include upgrading winglets on some aircraft types and reducing onboard
weight by avoiding over-fueling and over-provisioning. In 2018, In-Flight Service began
rightsizing provisions to reduce operational weight, waste and costs on all flights. With
thousands of global flights flown daily, this rightsizing effort reduced fuel burn by over
330,000 gallons and fleet emissions by 3,200 metric tons.
Also in 2018, we reinvigorated a project to save fuel by cutting the running time of Delta’s
onboard auxiliary power units (APUs), which provide additional energy to power onboard
lighting, gallery appliances and cockpit avionics, usually while the aircraft is parked at thegate. With airport congestion increasing, Delta APU usage between arrival and departure
doubled from 56 minutes in 2012 to 90 minutes in 2018, resulting in a cost of $3 million

a year for each minute of use across the fleet. A cross-divisional teamengaged all frontline employees to implement a systemwide fuelsavings initiative to reduce APU usage by 16 minutes for each aircraft’s
turn. The project goal was to cut fuel usage by $50 million, which would
also result in decreased fleet emissions.
Cockpit technology also is helping to increase fuel efficiency. Initiallyintroduced in 2016, the 2018 version of Delta’s flight deck weather app
reduces the impact of turbulence, making flights more comfortable andfuel efficient through real-time information. While the proprietary app
increases Delta’s fuel efficiency, a similar app currently deployed by avast majority of competing global airlines is also helping to increaseindustry efficiency globally.
While innovative and proactive efficiency improvements like thishelp to offset many operational factors, some efficiency factors arebeyond our control. For example, at busier airports, planes ultimately
spend additional time taxiing and may even be required to circle in the

FUEL EFFICIENCY
4.00%
3.00%
2.00%
1.00%
0.00%
-1.00%-2.00%-3.00%
2013
Total Fuel

50

2014
Total Load (RTM)

2015
Fuel Efficiency Ratio

2016

2017

2018

In 2018, our RTM grew by 3.24 percent, while total fuel use increased only 1.95 percent.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

air before being cleared for landing. Consequently, even our most efficient planes can burnhundreds of additional gallons of fuel per hour while on the ground or in the air. As congestion
increases at airports globally, the industry will need to address this issue collectively.

BUILDING A MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT FLEETOur commitment to addressing climate change informs the way we manage our fleet. We focus
strategically on ways to balance the promise of technological improvement in new aircraft withthe desire to build a fleet with the longest and most sustainable aircraft life possible. In 2018,
ongoing fleet modernization upgrades and replacements of aircraft, along with operational
improvements and other measures, saved Delta an incremental 1.87 million gallons of fuel.
To improve short haul and regional efficiency, Delta has retired 280 50-seat regional jets andmore than 130 older, narrow-body aircraft since 2009, while refreshing the fleet with over
300 more fuel-efficient aircraft. In 2018, we replaced about 7 percent of narrowbody aircraftwith quieter, more fuel-efficient models—about twice as many replacements as in a normal
year. Over the next five years, Delta will continue upgrading our domestic fleet to replaceless-efficient aircraft with highly efficient and state-of-the-art aircraft. We anticipate retiring
approximately 40 narrowbody aircraft annually and replacing them with 50 more fuel-efficientnarrowbody models.
Building on our modernization efforts, in 2018 Delta became the first U.S. airline to takedelivery of the Airbus 220—our newest state-of-the-art aircraft featuring best-in-classfuel efficiency.
As a result, Delta’s mainline fleet fuel efficiency improved 1.3 percent in 2018 over 2017 andfinally dropped below the 14 gallon per 100 RTM barrier. Mainline fleet fuel-efficiency improved
6.7 percent over its recent high in 2014.

1,350

Delta mainline and regional carrier aircraft

14.4 YEARS
average age

MAINLINE FLEET FUEL EFFICIENCY

162

RTM

purchase commitments for new aircraft by 2020

15.0
14.8
14.6

168

14.4
14.2

purchase commitments for new
aircraft by 2021 and beyond

14.0
13.8
2013

51

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Medium-Term Goal:
CarbonEmissions
NeutralOffsets
Growth

00

00

00

00,0

00,0

00,0

50,0

00
00,0

35,0

45,0

00
00,0

30,0

40,0

00
00,0
25,0

ICAO’s CORSIA goal to cap international emissions at 2019/2020 levels
will begin in 2021, but Delta has been purchasing offsets to maintainour total 2012 emissions since 2013. Since then, we have purchased andretired nearly 9 million carbon offsets, in addition to a commitment toretire more than 3 million offsets for our 2018 growth compared to 2012
levels. These offsets will be purchased and retired in the first half of 2019.

2005

46,174,277
02006

42,373,268
02007

42,587,545
0

2008

41,484,965
0

2009

38,820,661
02010

38,280,835
02011

38,613,757
02012

37,685,493
0

2013

37,685,493
570,3052014

37,685,493
1,210,064

2015

37,685,493
2,059,745

2016

37,685,493
2,361,921

2017

37,685,493
2,524,277

2018

37,685,493
3,293,096
EMISSIONSOFFSETSIn Millions of Metric Tons of CO2

52

CARBON NEUTRAL GROWTH THROUGH OFFSETSFor our carbon offset portfolio, we ensure that these offsets
not only have verified emissions reduction, but also advance
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in areasthat Delta serves.
For example, one of the offset projects we invest in is Peru’s Cordillera Azul National
Park, which spans approximately 1.4 million hectares, more than 5,000 square
miles, making it one of the largest protected areas in the country. Stretching acrossfour regions, the park extends from mountainous cloud forests to lush Amazonian
lowlands. While there are no formal human settlements within the park, Cordillera
Azul lies at the center of a highly productive region with 520 rural villages andindigenous communities, all of which rely heavily on local natural resources fortheir livelihoods. Cacao, coffee and palm oil production drive economic activity
and migration into the area, causing deforestation and forest degradation.
Illegal logging, cattle ranching, ‘slashand burn’ agriculture, illicit agriculture
and infrastructure development
are also contributing to forest loss
in the region. The Cordillera Azul
project addresses the region’s
causes of deforestation by funding
conservation while supporting local
communities in their transition tosustainable livelihoods. By properly
valuing and paying for the carbonstoring service the forests provide,
carbon credits change the economic
incentives by rewarding forest protection and providing education to local
farmers to ensure a secure, commercially viable income stream through lowcarbon land use. The project will reduce global emissions by 22.1 million tonnesof CO2 by 2021—equivalent to taking 4.7 million cars off the road for a year.
Carbon credits generated by the Cordillera Azul Reducing Emissions
from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project are formallyacknowledged by the Peruvian Ministry of Environment and are accounted
for in the country’s national registry through a “nested” approach. Nesting
this project within Peru’s REDD+ program means that the retired carbon
credits, even internationally transacted ones, are not double-counted.
Avoiding double-counting is essential to achieving a 1.5°C warming
scenario and ensures the credibility of corporate climate action claims.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Long-Term Goal: Absolute Emissions Reduction
Delta recognizes that fuel efficiency and carbon-neutral growth alone are not sufficient to address the risks ofglobal climate change. In line with IATA’s long-term emissions-reduction goal, we have committed to reducing
the absolute emissions that result from Delta’s mainline operation of more than 5,000 daily flights.

ABSOLUTEEMISSIONSREDUCTION
Absolute Emmissions
Reduction(In Millions of Metric Tons of CO2)

To continuously track progress against our short-, medium- and long-term goal commitments, we havecalculated and verified our full emissions inventory since 2005. Jet fuel from mainline (Scope 1) and regional
aircraft (Scope 3) accounts for 98.9 percent of Delta’s total emissions. Currently, Scope 3 emissions only include
jet fuel from our regional carrier partners. All emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3), including any offsets purchased andretired, are calculated in accordance with The Climate Registry’s reporting protocols. All verified emissions data
dating back to 2005 are publicly available on The Climate Registry website at www.cris4.org. Since 2005, wehave reduced our absolute emissions by 11 percent (Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 combined) through aircraft
fuel efficiency efforts and efforts that go beyond our aircraft. Additional efforts beyond the aircraft include
the use of more than 13.5 percent electric motors in our ground support equipment.

46.2

38.9

39.7

40.0

40.2

41.0

2005

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

In Millions of Metric Tons of CO2

EMISSIONS SOURCES
Metric Tons of CO2

EMISSIONS SOURCES

2005

2016

2017*

2018

SCOPE 1—Direct Emissions From Owned or Controlled Sources
Jet fuel from mainline operations and wholly owned subsidiaries suchas Delta Private Jets and Endeavor

41,741,619

35,257,525

35,591,053

36,821,496

Fuel used in ground support equipment

133,194

98,505106,294

99,951Natural gas (stationary combustion)

55,59375,50578,63268,306

Chemicals

3,469

1,386

1,326

1,222

Refrigerants

10,513

3,800

4,343

3,244

Emergency generators, fire pumps

834

135

217

236

SCOPE 2—Indirect Emissions From Purchased Electricity
Electricity from directly billed owned facilities

227,169

175,024

156,553

165,872

Electricity from leased facilities

193,249

111,824

107,057

107,588

SCOPE 3—Indirect Emissions in Value Chain
Natural gas from leased facilities—

31,77832,66433,267

Jet fuel from regional partners

3,808,637

4,291,817

4,129,530

3,677,438

41,174,277

40,047,301

40,207,669

40,978,593—

2,361,921

2,524,277

3,293,096

46,174,277

37,685,493

37,685,493

37,685,493

Summary
Total emissions
Offsets
OUR NET EMISSIONS*Emissions numbers updated post 2017 CRR publication after emissions verification had been completed.

A BETTER CONNECTION
CLEANER TRAVEL ON EARTH DAY
In April 2018, Delta helped customers travel a little cleaner. On Earth Day we offset the
carbon emissions of all domestic travel into and out of seven major airports with highcorporate travel demand. More than 170,000 corporate and leisure customers travelingthrough Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Raleigh and all three New York-area airports were53

accounted for by calculating the emissions per customer,
then purchasing 30,000 carbon offsets for customer
travel, as well as 15,000 carbon offsets to account for
Delta employee travel throughout April. The carbon
offsets were invested in projects in Brazil, Kenya, Uganda
and Zimbabwe that help to reduce emissions while
focusing on social responsibility.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTA BETTER CONNECTION
ALTERNATIVE FUELCOLLABORATION AT SEA-TAC

DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE JET FUELS
Because of the environmental and financial challenges posed by purchasing
increasing amounts of jet fuel, many members of the aviation industry believethat the future lies with alternative, or nonpetroleum-based, sources of energy.
As researchers explore the use of biofuels as alternative fuel sources, Delta has
proactively developed a set of biofuel principles that will guide our decisionmaking and investments in this area. To be worthy of investment, we believethat any new biofuel project must:• Meet applicable technical and regulatory standards, including ASTM D1655• Have lower environmental impacts (climate, water, air and biodiversity),
including lower life-cycle carbon emissions than conventional, petroleumbased jet fuel• Ideally, come from feed stocks that will not displace or compete withfood crops• Satisfy technical and functional criteria that allow biofuel to be commingled
within existing national fuel transport, storage and logistics infrastructure, as
well as within individual airport and airline systems• Have no adverse impact on aircraft engines• Be reasonably cost-competitive with existing petroleum-based supply• Advance the future availability of jet biofuels• Meet Delta’s reputational and creditworthiness standards
Delta engages with a range of producers and stakeholders to assess the technical,
financial and regulatory challenges associated with bio-jet opportunities. A
partnership with the University of Georgia, for example, helps to manage ongoinglife-cycle analyses of biofuels.

54

Delta is currently working with 12 other airlines to collaborate
on a work plan to reduce emissions at Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport, including exploring access to a lowcarbon and sustainably produced biofuel alternative to jet fuel.
The work plan will explore the use of sustainable aviation fuels
as well as a variety of other mechanisms that could contributeto carbon and air emission reductions, including technology,
operations, infrastructure and future aircraft technology.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPENVIRONMENTALCOMPLIANCE
Think of an airline, and you might
picture airplanes and check-in
counters. But Delta’s operations,and our environmental impact, go
well beyond what most people
see or realize.
For example, our mechanics use chemicals and othermaterials in maintenance facilities to clean, upgrade,maintain and repair Delta aircraft and contract aircraft.
Customers generate waste at Delta Sky Clubs and in flight.
Ground crews handle millions of gallons of fuel daily. And
safe drinking water must be on board every Delta flight. In
each case, our actions have environmental impacts.
Compliance with environmental laws and regulations is a
starting point for addressing nearly every action we take.
We view regulations as our minimum requirement. Where
we can, we go beyond compliance to make sure that ouroperations have the lowest possible environmental impact.
And where regulations do not exist, we operate responsibly
across our system by ensuring that we follow the bestpractices of the aviation industry. Building on best practices,
we also seek to innovate based on our own operational
knowledge and experience of what’s necessary for ourpeople, customers and the environment.

55

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTAs a responsible leader, we manage and measure environmental performance in the following areas:• Number and volume of spills• Number of Notices of Violation/Noncompliance• Number of core tasks completed on time in our Environmental Management Information
System (EMIS)• Compliance with air quality regulations• Compliance with hazardous waste and materials regulations• Year-over-year performance for nonhazardous waste• Compliance with drinking water and wastewater regulations
In 2018, Delta’s Board of Directors’ Corporate Governance Committee began overseeing allenvironmental- and climate-related risks and programs. All of our environmental impacts aregoverned by Delta’s Environmental Policy, which is approved by our Executive Environmental
Leadership Council (EELC).

ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATORS (ECs)As our daily hands-on compliance leads, ECs are located at all mainline airport stations andmaintenance locations where Delta operates. They coordinate environmental compliance efforts,
including conducting inspections, keeping records, liaising between airport environmental staff
and regulatory authorities and overseeing airport service contractors. ECs also communicate with
operating divisions and leadership at their respective airports. In addition, members of our corporate
environmental compliance management team routinely work with ECs at airports to provide
training and ensure that all compliance work is monitored and audited using the same metrics andprotocols across the system. New airport customer service ECs are also required to attend in-person
training sessions with an environmental compliance manager from their division and can enroll
in additional and follow-up training to gain more hands-on experience. ECs who are required touse specialized equipment or have oversight in specific compliance areas such as stormwater,
hazardous waste or drinking water receive additional standardized compliance training in theirareas of responsibility. In 2018, we enhanced around 80 stormwater on-the-job training resources
for ECs in our learning management system and plan to complete the remaining resources in 2019.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPSPILL DRILLS
Though we first seek to avoid all spills, in the event of a spill, Delta airport
personnel are trained to follow regulatory compliant and internally approved
protocols for environmental mitigation and corrective action. To learn what to
do in the event of a spill, we provide both computer-based and hands-on
training for spill response and cleanup. During a spill event, Delta personnel
are trained to first ensure the safety of all employees, passengers and the
public. Then, they should stop the spill at its source and contain it. After the
spill has been contained, notifications should be sent to the appropriate
internal divisions and, if required, to external regulators with information
about the material and quantity of the spill, its location, how it occurred,
containment status and clean up methodology.
Once spills are contained, if necessary, a corrective action plan is developed
and carried out to prevent future spills from occurring.

SCHEDULED COMPLIANCE VISITS
These routine informal, nonregulatory visits provide additional and important
opportunities for corporate environmental compliance managers to reinforce
training while also providing additional guidance and feedback to station
environmental personnel and divisional leaders. Responsibility for station
visits falls to the corporate environmental compliance team that conducts
visits to provide greater hands on oversight and opportunities to monitor andoffer feedback at stations. This also allows us to conduct more comprehensive
visits on an annual basis and more quickly identify areas for operational andprocess improvements, while also providing proactive opportunities forcorrective action plans.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS MANUAL (EPM)
Our comprehensive compliance management protocol document, the EPM
helps us ensure compliance by explaining exactly how to follow environmental
regulations. The EPM is managed at a corporate level and is continually

A BETTER CONNECTION
MAINTAINING ENGINES
Our new 127,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art engine repair shop in Atlanta isenabling us to perform maintenance on engines with the most sophisticatedand advanced technologies—in particular, the next-generation power plants
featured on Delta’s Airbus A350s and forthcoming A330-900neo aircraft.
The new facility also benefits the airline’s maintenance repair and overhaul(MRO) business, as Delta will work on engines from other airlines and aircraft
operators. Delta TechOps serves more than 150 aviation and airline customers
from around the world through its MRO business, specializing in high-skilled
work such as engines, components, avionics, airframe and line maintenance.

56

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

updated to ensure that it addresses all applicable local, state and federal
environmental regulations. Key to our compliance activities, the EPM provides
a consistent set of environmental guidelines and best practices for all of Delta’s
U.S.-based operations.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS)
Complementary to our EPM, the EMS is another internal management tool used toproactively manage and track station-specific environmental roles, responsibilities,
records and documents. This system is also used to communicate and help airport
stations individually understand station-specific requirements and provides stations
with a proactive tool outlining all of their environmental requirements and methods
for monitoring, documenting and complying with regulations. In 2018, we completed
the review and installation of an EMS at all our mainline domestic stations, a
process that took several years to accomplish. For a highly coordinated approach,
we established common core task completion metrics across the network, using
the airport customer service performance dashboard.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM(EMIS)As a final part of compliance, Delta’s EMIS is a web-based tracking tool thatworks in conjunction with a station’s EMS to ensure timely compliance ofscheduled environmental tasks. The system is designed to send automatednotifications and task descriptions while also tracking completion of thenotified tasks. In addition to task notification and completion, supplemental
compliance information and data can be entered online, allowing it to bemonitored by corporate, divisional and operational leaders. Delta started using
a customized new online commercial software platform to boost compliancereporting and change management starting in the first quarter of 2019.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPMANAGING &MITIGATINGSPILLSDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTOur environmental policies include procedures for preventing hazardous
substances associated with our operations from entering the environment.
These procedures explain how to store and handle all Delta-required
substances and materials. This includes petroleum products like jet fuel,diesel fuel, gasoline and hydraulic fluid, as well as other substances suchas glycol-based aircraft de-icing fluids.

Our first step and ongoing goal is to prevent spills from occurring. However, in the event of a spill,
Delta employees and business partners are trained to follow internally approved and externallycompliant procedures for mitigation.
When a spill happens, we manage it in an environmentally responsible manner—containing it,
beginning cleanup and completing all required regulatory reporting and documentation. Then, involved
personnel communicate the incident to station and division leadership. At that point, corporate
environmental managers conduct a comprehensive analysis of the entire incident. Their goal is togather any lessons to be learned from the experience, so we can prevent future spills from happening.
To continually improve our progress on spills, we set goals for our operating divisions and track spill
performance throughout the year. Other reportable environmental compliance areas include wastewater
discharges, air emissions and solid waste, but can include any regulated material that may enter theenvironment. We investigate all Class I and II spills to determine causes and contributing factors.
This helps us develop solutions that benefit all stations.
In 2018, Delta experienced a decrease in the number of reportable spills overall. Our total number of recordable Class I and Class II spills was 86, a
7.5 percent decrease from 2017. This number includes a total of 20 regulatory reportable spills, which is close to a 5 percent decrease from 2017. With
the goal of continuous improvement, the annual variability of spill numbers is due to the growth in operational events and variations in the frequency offueling, fleet type, de-icing events and other maintenance activities. Annual variability will continue to affect our reported spills on a year-over-yearbasis. While Delta takes precautions to prevent spills and especially spills to the environment, some perspective is required when reviewing Delta’s
material handling spills relative to the total amount of that particular fluid handled during the year. For instance, Delta transfers roughly 2 million gallons ofjet fuel daily in Atlanta alone, and when compared to the total amount of jet fuel spilled systemwide in 2018 (1,023 gallons), the fraction is very small.

NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS
Delta received four notices of violation (NOVs) from an environmental regulatory agency in 2018. One NOV was for failure to pay industrial wastewater permit feeson time; two were for exceeding permit conditions in stormwater discharges; and one was for exceeding the time limit for hazardous waste accumulation. No NOV
resulted in a monetary penalty to the company.

57

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTTOTAL NUMBER AND VOLUME OF SIGNIFICANT SPILLS
2018 SPILLS BY DIVISIONAIRPORT
CUSTOMERSERVICE
(ACS)

SPILL
MATERIAL

DELTA
CONNECTIONCARRIERS(DCC)GLOBALENVIRONMENT,SUSTAINABILITY& COMPLIANCE(GESC)TECHNICALOPERATIONS
(TOC)

TOTAL

COUNT

VOLUME(GALS)COUNT

VOLUME(GALS)COUNT

VOLUME(GALS)COUNT

VOLUME(GALS)COUNT

VOLUME(GALS)

Diesel/Gasoline

5

59

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

59

Glycol

1

23

12

1,920

0

0

0

0

13

1,943

Hydraulic Fluid

7

134

0

0

0

0

1

10

8

144

Jet A Fuel

18

327

14

172

0

0

12

524

44

1,023

Lav Fluid/Waste

8

356

3

55

0

0

0

0

11

411

Other*

0

0

0

0

1

30

4

3,159**

5

3,189

Total

39

899

29

2,147

1

30

17

3,693

86

6,769

*Aqueous Film Forming Foam, Engine Oil, Industrial Waste Water, Varsol, Perchloroethylene**Aqueous Film Forming Foam Release Includes 3,000 gallons

RECORDED SPILLS AND SPILL GOALS
2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Class I Recorded Spills

38

41

40

38

39

Class II Recorded Spills

43

54

51

55

47

Total Recorded Spills (Class I + Class II)

81

95

91

93

86

Regulatory Reportable Spills

22

28

16

21

20

Annual Spill Goal (Class I + Class II)

69

100

90

87

90

NOTICES OF VIOLATION/NONCOMPLIANCE
2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Notice of Violation Goal

2

2

5

3

3

Noncompliance/Permit Exceedances

1

*

*

*

*

PERFORMANCE (BY YEAR)
Notice of Violation

5

7

2

3

4

Noncompliance/Permit Exceedances

1

*

*

*

*

Monetary Value ($) of Significant Fines

0

0

0

0

0

*With the goal of continuous improvement, in 2015 Delta did not set a goal for noncompliance/permit exceedances. This decision was made due, in part, to the limited number of historically reported incidents, as well as the goal to focus
on identifying and minimizing the occurrence of documentable compliance violations. Refocusing our efforts has also allowed us to establish best practices for the avoidance of reportable regulatory violations.

58

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTPROTECTING
AIR QUALITY

Delta is committed to reducing air emissions,
including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogenoxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), sulfur
oxides (SOx), volatile organic compounds(VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
To help improve air quality around airports, our stations and Technical
Operations facilities comply with federal, state, city, county and district
requirements. Third-party environmental professionals review andaudit our air quality programs for compliance as necessary. These audits
include a multifaceted inspection of agency reporting, emissions records
and work practices. Delta tracks stationary and mobile equipment that
contains ozone-depleting substances (ODS), chemicals that reduce
stratospheric ozone. These substances are commonly found in aerosol
products, foams and fire extinguishers. They are also used as refrigerants
in air conditioning and cooling equipment. ODS Class I and II refrigerants
are categorized based on their ozone-depleting potential. Because theseunits contain regulated substances, only certified technicians can perform
maintenance that involves accessing the refrigerant-containing circuits. During
required maintenance and servicing, we take all appropriate measures toprevent the release of ODS into the atmosphere. Where feasible, we buy
or retrofit equipment that contains a substitute refrigerant with a lower global
warming potential.
In addition, eight Delta facilities must file routine emissions inventory
reports due to individual state requirements. This includes tracking fivepollutants that may contribute to climate change: CO, NOx, PM, SOx and
VOCs. Seven sites require regulatory reporting annually, and one requires
reporting every three years. The eight facilities are:• Atlanta Technical Operations Center, Atlanta, Georgia• Atlanta Airport Station, Atlanta, Georgia• Atlanta Corporate Headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia• Minneapolis Airport Station and Technical Operations Center(combined reporting), Minneapolis, Minnesota• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Office Building J,
Minneapolis, Minnesota• Iron Range/Hibbing Reservation Center, Hibbing, Minnesota• Cincinnati Airport Station, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Salt Lake City Airport Station, Salt Lake City, Utah (triennial reporting)59

AIR QUALITY IN CALIFORNIA
Delta’s goal in California is to meet the air emissions requirements set by the state,
which are more stringent than those imposed on our other domestic operations. In
addition, we set our ground support equipment replacement and retrofit schedules
in California to meet those required by regulation.
Our off-road diesel fleet in California proactively achieved the 2019 target of 4.1 gramsof NOx per brake horsepower-hour, a standard measure for heavy-duty and nonroadengines. We achieved this target due to credits obtained by using electric off-roadvehicles in place of diesel vehicles or adding newer diesel vehicles with verified
emission controls in place.
We also surpassed the large spark ignition engine targets for forklift and nonforklift
subsets. For the forklift group, we exceeded the mandate for hydrocarbon (HC) andNOx emissions of 1.1 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr) with our fleet
average of 1.0 g/bhp-hr. For the nonforklift group, we exceeded the mandate for HC
and NOx emissions (2.5 g/bhp-hr) with our fleet average of 2.1 g/bhp-hr.
Having met the 2017 compliance targets for the diesel airborne toxic control measures,
Delta now qualifies for certain advantages in the new rule promulgated in 2018. To
qualify we achieved the previous particulate matter standard of 0.18 g/bhp-hr for
portable nondrive diesel engines under 175 horsepower and 0.08 g/bhp-hr for similar
engines between 175–750 horsepower. Under the revised rule the combined fleet target
is 0.1 g/bhp-hr. We see no issue with achieving this standard by the 2020 target.

MANDATED REPORTING
EMISSIONS PROGRESS EMISSIONS(tons/year)
CRITERIA POLLUTANT EMISSIONS
2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

CO

308.7

53.8

42.7

159.9

43.7

NOX

154.2

103.5

98.4

133.4

102.3

PM

15.7

10.9

23.3

24.2

23.1

SO2

20.4

12.1

11.7

12.2

13.2

VOC

199.6

128.4

159.2

179.5

155.3

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTA BETTER CONNECTIONCHANGING THE COURSEOF WATER CONSERVATION
Delta continues to take steps to better understand the scopeof our global water footprint. This is a complex undertaking,given that we do not own, operate or manage the majority of
the locations in which we operate, and therefore are not billed
directly for water. In the absence of a full picture of our water use,
we seek incremental efforts to positively impact water quality
and promote restoration in the communities we serve.

AIRCRAFTDRINKING WATER
The quality of aircraft drinking water is a
top priority to ensure customer safety andsatisfaction. Each Delta plane is equippedwith a tank system that holds anywhere from38 to 290 gallons of water, depending on
fleet size and type. This water is needed for
hot tea and coffee made in the galleys, whileregular drinking water is served from bottles.
The onboard water system also supports
sinks and commodes in the lavatories.
Delta sources local water from municipal water sources that have been
approved by the EPA as public water systems. Public water systems are held
to the EPA’s National Primary Drinking Water Standards. As required by EPA’s
Aircraft Drinking Water Rule, Delta disinfects each of its more than 850 aircraft
four times per year, performs water quality sampling once per year, and reports
this information to EPA on an ongoing basis. Delta cabin maintenance mechanics
are responsible for performing disinfections and taking water samples.
Potable water on flights from international locations must meet EPA requirementsthat water be absent of total coliform bacteria, an indicator of potential watercontamination. If coliform is detected in any water sample, Delta performs prescribedcorrective measures at the earliest possible opportunity for each aircraft. These
measures include further disinfection of the water tank and follow-up sampling.

60

One such effort is a partnership with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport to support Bonneville Environmental
Foundation’s Change the Course, a freshwater conservation andrestoration initiative. Customers and employees can replenish
waterways across North America by texting the word “Delta”
to 474747, or by refilling a reusable water bottle at water filling
stations on Delta concourses and throughout the Atlanta airport.
Change the Course restores 1,000 gallons of water for every text
received and matches every bottle of water refilled. In the firsttwo years of the program, more than 16.5 million gallons of water
were restored—enough to fill 25 Olympic-size swimming pools.
In 2019, Delta is expanding the program to Detroit Metropolitan
Wayne County Airport as well as to Delta Sky Clubs.
Delta and the Atlanta airport’s support of Change the Course
benefits the Flint River Water Stewardship project, which
provides funding, outreach and technical support to modernize
irrigation systems, maximize crop production, reduce water use
and restore flows in important areas throughout the lower FlintRiver Basin. The river runs 344 miles across the state, including
underneath Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

text

474747
Delta is helping to replenish waterways
across North America. Over 16.5 million gallons
of water were restored in the firsttwo years of the program.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPWASTE MANAGEMENT
Reducing the waste we generate is important
both for meeting our environmental compliancecommitments and lowering our overall
environmental impact. We continually assess
our waste streams and waste handling
operations to identify high-value materials
for reuse and recycling, as well as ways tominimize what we send to landfills.
We have identified three main waste streams
varying by material type and regulatory
handling requirements: hazardous waste,nonhazardous waste and recyclable orreusable materials.
HAZARDOUS WASTE
Hazardous wastes are a byproduct of operating a safe and compliant
commercial airline. We recognize the negative societal and environmental
impacts of improper handling and disposal of hazardous waste—including
harm to the health of our employees and local communities. Accordingly,
Delta has initiatives in place to ensure proper disposal and to meet all
applicable regulatory handling and disposal requirements. This includes

61

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTEPA Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest requirements, which will ensure
tracking of hazardous waste. Delta’s hazardous waste is carefully managed
by vetted and approved handlers to ensure that both Delta and the public
remain protected and safe.
Delta has waste minimization plans at all large-quantity generator locations
and is working to reduce hazardous waste generation. We aim to reduce
our hazardous waste generation year over year and set goals accordingly,
monitoring our progress monthly. In 2018, we generated 444 tons of hazardous
waste, achieving our 2018 goal of less than 477 tons of hazardous waste from
Delta operations. We generated an additional 187 tons of hazardous waste
soils, in addition to the waste made by our normal operations. These soils were
removed during an airport redevelopment project. Although Delta did notcontaminate these soils, we are responsible for ensuring that when the soils are
removed for a redevelopment project, they are handled in full compliance withapplicable federal, state and local environmental regulations. Removing anddisposing of these soils in a safe, proper and compliant manner reduces theoverall impact on the environment and demonstrates Delta’s commitment toenvironmental stewardship.
Delta was able to meet the goal of reducing our operationally generated
hazardous waste through various means and methods. Some of thisreduction is attributed to the replacement of older aircraft and some due
to normal maintenance cycles that operate on a cyclical basis. Delta is
continuing to work with our chemical providers and OEM manufacturers
to try to understand and reduce our waste footprint and lower our overallchemical intensity.
Establishing this goal increases transparency and compels us tocontinuously identify ways to reduce our environmental impact.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Heavily regulated waste that must
be disposed in accordance withapplicable local, state and federal
management requirements

HAZARDOUS
WASTE

Consists ofitems that are
not “trash” as aconsumer might
think of it, but are
not regulated in
the same way as
hazardous
waste

Nonregulated materials
that can be diverted fromlandfills for reuse again as
the same material

NONHAZARDOUS WASTE
Operating a major airline includes not only management of our own waste,
but also customer-generated waste materials. Delta-generated waste includes
waste from operations, maintenance and construction activities at airports
and other locations where partners can separate our materials and send us
waste stream volumes. Understanding and handling this complex mix of waste
streams means that not all nonhazardous waste generated can be recycled ordiverted from a landfill. Working toward the highest possible diversion rate,
we seek to identify both materials and opportunities to increase our landfill
diversion efforts. Much like our approach to hazardous waste, in 2018 wetargeted year-over-year improvements for reducing the nonhazardous waste
volume generated in our operations. In 2018, we produced 1,015 total tonsof nonhazardous waste from Delta operatons alone, which includes reusable
and recyclable materials. This number is down from 1,135 tons in 2017. Delta
did undertake a large number of redevelopment and construction projects in
2018, which resulted in a significant amount of nonhazardous waste.* Delta also
built the world’s largest engine test cell at our maintenance base in Atlanta,
Georgia. These redevelopment projects alone resulted in a significant amountof nonhazardous material being placed into landfills in 2018. Delta, in removing
this material from the areas that were developed, not only met our regulatory
obligations but also helped to lower the overall impact of Delta’s operation(and the grounds upon which they sit).

NONHAZARDOUS
WASTE

RECYCLABLE
MATERIAL*Higher nonhazardous waste number reflected in table below.

The past year saw the removal of a variety of single-use plastic items, includingstir sticks, wrappers, utensils and straws from Delta aircraft and Delta Sky Clubs.
This effort comes on the heels of removing plastic wrap from international main
cabin cutlery and is expected to eliminate nearly 300,000 pounds in plastic
waste annually—the weight equivalent of around 2 Boeing 757 aircraft. We
have also eliminated unnecessary plastic wrapping from Delta One amenity
kits and continue to review all of the plastics used in our onboard service. We
have achieved zero-waste operations—which we define as 90 percent waste
diverted from landfill—at multiple Delta Sky Club locations, including Seattle,
Minneapolis-St Paul and San Francisco. These Delta Sky Clubs recycle packaging,compost leftover food and provide eco-conscious food service items.

NONHAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATION(in tons)
MATERIAL STREAMS

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Landfilled or Incinerated Materials

1,405

1,465

1,426

1,135

1,015

Landfilled Construction Debris

361

—

220

—

178,567*

Recycled Material

1,085

1,310

1,124

1,529

1,345

Reused/Upcycled Materials

43

17

23

19

175

*Higher 2018 tonnage due to airport redevelopment contaminated soils mitigation.

62

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

about by the lack of demand for our recycled commodity products. Delta is
working to minimize the impact on the existing revenue stream from recycling.
However, if current trends continue, it is likely that continuing rebates will be lessthan in previous years.

IN-FLIGHT RECYCLING CHALLENGESREUSABLE MATERIAL
Delta has embraced the concept of “upcycling,” or giving materials a second life as
new product or product inputs. These innovative diversion programs, launched witha variety of partners and vendors, reduce the amount of new materials needed to
produce new products in the marketplace.

RECYCLABLE MATERIAL
A major way we’re reducing our environmental impact is by identifying anddiverting valuable recyclable materials from our waste streams. We’re doing
this both through recycling goods on flights where we maintain control of thematerials at the station level, and by encouraging our employees to recycle
at home and at work using our Atlanta-based Employee Recycling Center. In
both efforts, we donate all rebate funds to Delta community and employee
support programs.
Delta’s in-flight commingled recycling program, in operation since 2007,
is a great example of our commitment to reducing waste in the air and on
the ground. While the program is not available on every Delta flight, due todestination airport service availability and operational constraints, we do offer
onboard recycling options into 41 destination cities. We collect single-stream
materials, including plastic, aluminum and paper, during flights and bag themfor diversion. Upon flight arrival, the materials are collected by the cabin
service team or catering team and picked up by recycling haulers.
There are 38 domestic recycling locations and three international recycling
locations across the Delta system. We do not always receive rebates or volumes
for these materials due to airport-specific protocols for removing waste, but weare nevertheless committed to removing these items from the waste stream.
Thanks to our increased aluminum can recycling volume, the program set a
record for collection and revenue in 2017 and had its second-best year in 2018.
Over this two-year span, the program brought in more than $440,000. We
continue to donate rebates earned from Delta’s in-flight recycling program to
Habitat for Humanity through Delta’s Force for Global Good. From the proceeds
raised in 2018, Delta will be able to continue building Habitat homes in thecommunities we serve. Total rebates from 2007 to 2018 have totaled more than
$1.3 million dollars. These funds have been used, along with Delta employee
volunteer hours, to fund and build 12 Habitat for Humanity homes in five Delta
cities through 2017 and will be put toward more homes in coming years.
It is worth noting, however, that at the end of 2018, Delta noticed a significant
drop in recycling revenue. This loss of revenue is attributed to a significant dropin the price for recycling commodities on the open markets, primarily brought

63

Materials handling and infrastructure issues pose a challenge for capturing andreporting progress on in-flight recycling efforts. At most domestic locations, we
encounter challenges in measuring diversion rates and understanding trends forrecycling efforts once materials leave our aircraft. Our waste streams may become
intertwined with other carriers’ waste, or airport authorities may choose not toshare this information. This difficulty, combined with more airports developing
their own recycling programs, means that we foresee continued challenges in
capturing, tracking and monitoring total volumes for our recycling efforts. We
have also seen recycling markets start to collapse as the demand for recycled
items drops significantly.

A BETTER CONNECTIONSUSTAINABLE PRACTICESFROM THE SHOP FLOOR UP
Delta’s Technical Operations group (TechOps) does a lot for
the airline, maintaining the Delta fleet in accordance with all
requirements and standards, as well as performing maintenancefor other airlines and organizations. The group supports on-time
performance through the operation of line maintenance stations
that work at various stations on aircraft, both on an as-neededbasis during the day, as well as overnight when aircraft need tohave engine oil changed or other required maintenance to makesure they are ready to fly on time the next morning.
Chemicals used at our TechOps maintenance operations havestringent “use by” dates. When unused product has passed thisdate, it is sometimes classified as hazardous waste if it cannot
be used in another application. This results in wasted productand the added expense required to treat and dispose of the now
hazardous waste. Tony Rodriquez, who runs the Fort Lauderdale
International Airport line maintenance station, worked withhis team to calculate the correct amount of chemicals to beallocated to the station to avoid generating waste and still
meet the station’s repair obligations. This effort resulted in
reducing the team’s hazardous waste by almost half, and Tony
is now working with a cross-functional group to duplicate thissuccess where possible and practical within the TechOps Line
Maintenance Organization.

ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIPDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTInternational flight regulations also pose challenges to increasing in-flight recycling.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers materials from international flights
contaminated with meat, dairy and/or produce to be regulated waste, which must be
thermally treated to ensure there is no contamination to domestic U.S. agriculture.
Similar rules exist in every country to which we fly. For this reason, Delta’s greatest
challenge remains how best to collect and separate materials to keep recyclable
materials uncontaminated both onboard the aircraft and upon arrival at theinternational flight kitchen.

RECYCLING AT DELTA HEADQUARTERS
In support of the largest concentration of Delta employees and Delta office spacedomestically, the employee recycling center (ERC) in Atlanta provides a place forall employees to recycle materials generated at home and process recyclablesfrom our Atlanta headquarters.

TonsTons
Tons

RECYCLING STATIONS
35
35 35

35 35
35

Rebates
Rebates
Rebates

RECYCLED TONSREBATES41 41
41

751 751 779
779779 767
767767 784
784784 793
793793751$109,548$99,059$251,234$193,516$85,283$109,548$99,059$251,234$193,516$85,283$109,548$99,059$251,234$193,516$85,2832014
2014
2014 2015
20152015 20162016
2016 201720172017 2018
2018
2018

2014
2014
2014 2015
20152015 20162016
2016 201720172017 2018
2018
2018

2014
2014 2015
20152015 20162016
2016 201720172017 2018
2018
2018
2014

32
32 32

35
35 35

In late 2018, Delta launched composting as an option for waste diversion at thecafeterias in our corporate headquarters, Technical Operations Center, Atlanta
Customer Engagement Center, and Atlanta Training Center by replacing mostof our food service items with compostable containers. Composting allows us
to divert food waste from the landfill, avoid methane emissions and generatevaluable nutrient-dense compost. Delta feels this is a game changer for our
hometown environmental footprint, in a state where composting only recently
became available. In coming years we look forward to measuring the benefitsof this project.
Delta also launched a new office recycling trial in a few locations at our corporate
headquarters using “Recycle Across America” standardized labels. The trial aimed
to streamline recycling containers and labels and was implemented in conjunction
with a focused training campaign. The trial achieved significant improvement in
the volume of recyclables, as well as in the quality of recyclable material.

Employees can bring materials that include aluminum cans, plastic bottles,
tin and paper. We also have an employee recycling program at the Atlanta
Technical Operations Center. The ERC donates all rebate funds to theStations
Stations
Stations

Delta Employee & Retiree Care Fund to help individuals who suffer from severe
financial hardship resulting from unforeseen and unavoidable crises such as
natural disasters.

A BETTER CONNECTIONCOMMINGLEDCOMMINGLEDCOMMINGLED
617
617 617

ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM 92
92 92
KITCHEN
RECYCLING
GAINS
TRACTION
2014
2014
PAPER
PAPER
PAPER
31
31 31
PLASTICS
PLASTICS
PLASTICS1212 12Flight kitchens throughout Delta’s network are busy places
where chefs prepare amazing culinary delights for our passengers assustainably as possible. In all Delta domestic owned/leased kitchen
operations, we recycle aluminum cans, which results in a high-quality
COMMINGLEDCOMMINGLEDCOMMINGLED
560
560 560 This practicealuminum stream to produce recycling
revenues.
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM142
142 1422016
2016
currently generates
much of thePAPER
revenue
PAPER
PAPER in51
51Delta
51 recycling programs.

contributed to significant year-over-year revenue and volume
gains in aluminum canrecycling.
COMMINGLEDCOMMINGLEDCOMMINGLED
576
576Delta
576 doesn’t stop at aluminum
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM165
165 165
cans,
however.
Minneapolis
flight kitchen, plastic film
2015
2015 At ourPAPER
PAPER
PAPER
29
29 29
PLASTICS
PLASTICS
PLASTICS
999
wrap and plastic bottles were eliminated,and composting wasintroduced, all in an effort to reduce our environmental impact.

2017
2017

PLASTICS
PLASTICS
PLASTICS 14
14 14

COMMINGLEDCOMMINGLEDCOMMINGLED
829
829 829
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM632
632 632
PAPER
PAPER
PAPER
89
89 89
PLASTICS
PLASTICS
PLASTICS 16
16 16

In 2017 and 2018, we have focused heavily on operations in Atlanta,
where we installed a can compactor to try to match recycling
successes in Minneapolis and Detroit. The can compactor improved
sorting, and a new used beverage container recycling partner

64

2018
2018

COMMINGLEDCOMMINGLEDCOMMINGLED
859
859 859
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM598
598 598
PAPER
PAPER
PAPER
99
99 99

ENVIRONMENTAL
35
35
STEWARDSHIP

35

41

751

015

4132

35

767

784

793

$85,283 $109,548 $9

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Stations
35

779

Tons

Tons

751
35
Tons

779
35

767
41

784

2016
2017
2018
751
779
767

784

2014
793

2015

793
751

Rebates

2014
2015
2016
2017
779
$85,283 767$109,548784$99,059793$251,234 $Rebates

2016
2017
2018
2014
2015
$85,283 $109,548 $99,059 $251,234 $193,516

COMMINALUMINU
PAPER
PLASTICS

2014

2017
2014

2018
2014
2014

COMMINGLED 617
ALUMINUM
92
PAPER
31
PLASTICS
122016

COMMINGLED 617
ALUMINUM
92
2015
2016
201431PAPER
PLASTICS
12

2017
2015

2018
2016

2015

2017

RECYCLABLES
2018 In Tons 2014

2014

COMMINGLED 560
ALUMINUM 142
PAPER
51
PLASTICS
14COMMINGLED
ALUMINUM
PAPER
PLASTICSCOMMINGLED 560
ALUMINUM 142
PAPER
51
PLASTICS
142016

COMMINGLED 617
ALUMINUM
92
PAPER
31
PLASTICS
12

2015

617
92
31
12

2017

COMMINGLED
ALUMINUM
PAPER
PLASTICS

65

829
632
89
16

COMMINGLED 576
ALUMINUM 165
20152014 20162015
201720162018
PAPER
29 2017
PLASTICS
920182014 2015

2015

COMMINGLED 576
ALUMINUM 165
PAPER
29
PLASTICS
9COMMINGLED
ALUMINUM
PAPER
PLASTICSCOMMINGLED 560
ALUMINUM 142
PAPER
51
PLASTICS
14

2016

2017

2015

2017

COMMINGLED 829
ALUMINUM 632
PAPER89
PLASTICS
16

COMMINGLED
ALUMINUM
PAPER
PLASTICSCOMMINGLED 859
ALUMINUM 598

2016

2017

COMMINGLED 576
ALUMINUM 165
PAPER
29
PLASTICS
9

2017

576
165
29
9

2018

2

2016
2015

COMMINGLED 829
ALUMINUM 632
PAPER89
PLASTICS
16

COMMINGLED
ALUMINUM
PAPER
PLASTICSCOMMINGLED 829
ALUMINUM 632
PAPER89
PLASTICS
16

2018

859
598
COMMINGLED99 859
ALUMINUM 30 598

PAPER
PLASTICS

99
30

2018

COMMINCOMM
ALUMINU
ALUM
PAPER
PAPE
PLASTICS
PLAS

560
142
51
14

2017

COMM
ALUM
PAPE
PLAS

2018

COMM
ALUM
PAPE
PLAS

COMMINGLED 859
ALUMINUM 598
PAPER99
PLASTICS
30COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

IN THIS CHAPTER
Helping to Build Better Communities...........67
Delta’s Community Impact..............................69
Education.............................................................70
Health and Wellness..........................................72
Armed Service Members and Veterans........73

66

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTHELPING TO BUILD
BETTER COMMUNITIESDelta’s culture of giving back has served as a connection to
the communities where we live, work and serve for more than
80 years.
Through thoughtful and consistent community partnerships, and guided by our three pillars offocus—Advancing Education, Improving Health and Wellness and Supporting Armed Service
Members and Veterans—Delta continues to make strides toward our long-term commitment toaction and outreach that makes communities better places to live.
Each year, Delta is committed to investing 1 percent of the previous year’s net income into
communities across the globe. Delta and The Delta Air Lines Foundation gave more than $50 million
to nonprofit partners in 2018. This commitment raises the bar for Delta’s Community Engagement
program, formalizing communities as one of our key stakeholders.
Through corporate giving, Foundation grants and employee volunteerism, we aim to enhance
educational opportunities, improve health and wellness accessibility across the globe and support
U.S. armed service members, veterans and their families.

67

$50M+

donated in 2018 by Delta and
The Delta Air Lines Foundation
to community partners

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTA BETTER CONNECTIONSUPPORTING HOMETOWN NEIGHBORHOODS

The Westside of Atlanta is known for its rich black history narrative,
once home to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights
movement luminaries, along with the world’s largest consortium ofhistorically black colleges and universities. In 2018, Delta and The
Delta Air Lines Foundation made a $25 million commitment toinvest in the transformation of this area to the Westside Future
Fund, an organization established by the Atlanta Committee for
Progress, to address areas of need, including safety and security,
cradle-to-career education, health and wellness and mixed-income
communities. Delta’s support of the Westside is multifaceted andincludes a Delta-sponsored playground build in Rodney Cook, Sr.

68

Park, where 75 employees took part in the revitalization efforts in
the historic Vine City neighborhood. As the City of Atlanta’s
newest recreational public green space, Cook Park is set to open
in 2019 and is a joint venture between the City of Atlanta, theWestside Future Fund, The Trust for Public Land and the National
Monuments Foundation. The Delta Air Lines Foundation contributed$1 million toward the park’s creation with $500,000 allocated to theTrust for Public Land for the specific development of a playgroundand $500,000 allocated to the National Monuments Foundation to
install monuments honoring historic Atlanta leaders.

DELTA’S COMMUNITY IMPACTEDUCATIONWELLNESSMILITARY

31 JA CHAPTERS

264 HABITAT HOMES

162M MILES

Delta partners with Junior Achievement chapters acrossfour continents to teach students financial literacy, work
readiness and entrepreneurship

2,500 Delta employees build homes annually—spanning
12 countries since 1995—with Habitat for Humanity

As part of a Veterans Month promotion each November,
Delta and its customers have donated miles to Fisher
House Foundation’s Hero Miles Program and Luke’s
Wings through the SkyWish Program, which helps
transport family members of injured service members
and veterans

26 PLAYGROUNDS
Delta employees have built KaBOOM! playgrounds
across 13 markets to give kids a safe place to play

22 YMCA CHAPTERS
Delta supports YMCA chapters on two continents
through programming that includes swim lessons,tutoring and job shadows

250 READING BUDDIESAND TUTORS
Delta employees read to and tutor students at two
Atlanta Public Schools in the South Atlanta Cluster andalso provide basics like books, coats, food and glasses

11,085 PINTS OF BLOOD
Delta employees donated blood at more than 200
drives, making Delta No. 1 among American Red Cross
corporate donors in FY18

4 FISHER HOUSES

8 RED CROSSORGANIZATIONS

Delta has funded Fisher House facilities in New York
City, Los Angeles and Seattle, which provide lodging
for family members of injured loved ones receiving
treatment at military and VA facilities

Delta’s Red Cross support covers disaster relief efforts
across the globe

24 CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS
Delta’s global hospital support includes 18 Children’s
Miracle Network hospitals, plus other leading hospitals
like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Great
Ormond Street Hospital in London

21 FOOD BANKS
Delta employees help repack more than 2 million pounds
of food annually across the globe, including support of
18 Feeding America food banks

71 HEROES
Delta supports the Congressional Medal of Honor
Foundation by providing living medal recipients with
Diamond Medallion status and also funds educational
programs, including Direct to Kids, centered aroundpromoting Medal of Honor values$735K DONATION
Delta contributes to Toys for Tots annually, andDelta employees build 1,000 bikes for kids every
holiday season

14 USO CHAPTERS
Delta supports USO, as well as the MI Freedom
Center in Detroit Metropolitan Airport and theArmed Forces Service Centers in Miami International
Airport and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport$6.5M RAISED IN 2018

Delta employees and customers set record fundraising amounts in 2018 for the American Cancer Society, American
Heart Association, Breast Cancer Research Foundation and United Way*2018 fundraisers were self-organizedCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTEDUCATION
It is our responsibility to help guide
tomorrow’s global leaders. Delta’s
education efforts aim to inspire thenext generation of Delta employees,
customers and shareholders,positioning them for bright futures inaviation and the general workforce.

70

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

In line with this commitment, we invest in organizations that engage students in science,technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs and underscore the importance of financial
literacy, economics and entrepreneurship.
• Delta supports 31 Junior Achievement (JA) chapters across four continents, igniting students’interest in aviation careers through job shadows and outreach programs that teach financial
literacy, entrepreneurship, macroeconomics, business and career readiness.
• Delta serves as a National Signature Partner of 3DE, a JA program for high school students, andcommitted $2 million upon its creation. The program focuses on developing public-private
partnerships to systemically re-engineer education to better reflect the real world and prepare
students for life beyond the classroom.
• Technical Operations and Flight Operations employees share the science of aviation with morethan 20,000 students each March at the Atlanta Science Festival’s Exploration Expo, whichcelebrates and promotes STEM education.
• Through our partnership with the National Flight Academy, more than 600 students from ourcommunity partners, military dependents and children of Delta employees spend six days aboard
the world’s only virtual land-locked aircraft carrier in Pensacola, Fla. Students role play as pilots,
develop their skills in simulators and test their mental preparedness, communication and teamwork
in immersive scenarios that inspire students to learn about aviation and STEM careers.
• More than 15,000 students from around the world travel to Detroit each May to put theirinnovation skills to the test at the annual FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Scienceand Technology) Championship sponsored by Delta. Local Technical Operations and Flight
Operations employees host participating students through interactive experiences involving
model engines, wind tunnels, aircraft parts and more.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTA BETTER CONNECTION
BUILDING A PIPELINE OF FUTURE LEADERS
Across four continents and 31 chapters, Delta’s support of Junior Achievement deepened in2018 with a shared mission: to spark students’ interest in aviation careers through financial
literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship education.
Through JA job shadows and outreach programs, Delta has inspired more than 800,000
students each year since 2013—the next generation of Delta employees and customers.
In Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York and Salt Lake City, students work
alongside Delta employees, shadowing leaders on the job at key Delta hubs for a behind-thescenes look at airport operations. Students also learn financial literacy and budgeting skills
through interactive Delta storefronts at JA Finance Park and BizTown facilities.
Delta supports JA’s U.K. chapter, Young Enterprise, through job shadows at Heathrow Airportand sponsorship of Young Enterprise’s annual Company Programme Trade Fair and the
National Finals, and JA Americas through various event support. And since 2015, Delta has
supported the JA Company of the Year competition, which expanded to JA Africa and JA
Europe in 2018, presenting the Delta Social Impact Award to students across the globe whohave shown entrepreneurial thinking to develop an innovative solution to a social challenge.
In addition, Delta supports early education
programs, recognizing that learning can take on
many forms.
• Delta has contributed to 26 total KaBOOM!
playground builds across 13 markets since
2013—giving students and local kids safe
places to play. In 2018, our employees built
KaBOOM! playgrounds in Atlanta, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, Salt Lake City andWashington, D.C.
• Delta teamed up with The Trust for Public Land
to build a playground in historic Rodney Cook,
Sr. Park as part of the revitalization efforts ofAtlanta’s Westside community.
• 2018 marked our second year in partnershipwith Atlanta Public Schools, as part of our$500,000 contribution over five years to
improve the quality of education and literacy
rates at two elementary schools in the South
Atlanta cluster, each located near HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport. The
partnership includes ongoing reading andtutoring support with Delta employees andhelps cover essential student needs like books,
clothing and meals.
• Delta partners with 22 YMCA chapters globally,
helping children, adults and families with
programs and services including afterschoolcare, financial assistance, global education,
swimming, mentoring, early learning
readiness and more.

71

In addition, in 2018, Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced a surprise $2 million commitment over
five years toward 3DE, the new national extension of JA Academy, which launched in Atlanta
in 2015. Delta was the first corporate national sponsor of the revamped program, which
re-engineers high school curriculum to be more relevant and connected to the experiencesthat exist beyond the classroom. Its school-within-a-school model has proven to significantly
elevate students’ social, academic and career readiness outcomes.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTHEALTH AND WELLNESSIn an effort to create a healthier global community, Delta
helps meet employees’ and customers’ basic needs throughhealth and wellness initiatives.
Delta’s commitment to action and outreach is exemplified through corporate
support and employee engagement opportunities. Highlights from 2018 include:• Throughout 2018, Delta employees constructed six homes in Guangzhou,
China, in addition to homes in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle.
Delta people have helped build or rehab 264 homes in 12 countries across theglobe through our more than 20-year partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
Each year, more than 2,500 employees volunteer their time to build safe andaffordable homes.
• In 2018, Delta supported 24 children’s hospital organizations in the U.S. andthe U.K., 18 of which were Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and served
as the presenting sponsor of Children’s Hospital Week in Orlando. Other
children’s hospital support included Great Ormond Street Hospital in the U.K.
and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• In 2018, employees sorted and packed more than 64,500 pounds of foodduring Hunger Action Month in September, which equated to nearly 30,240
meals. Employees volunteered at 21 food banks across the globe, 18 of which
are Feeding America food banks.
Delta employees and customers raise millions of dollars for organizations
actively working to promote wellness, combat disease and fight hunger.
• Since 2005, Delta employees and customers have raised an unprecedented
more than $16.7 million for Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

A BETTER CONNECTION
GIVING PEOPLE A PLACE TO CALL HOME
Each year, Delta employees work with Habitat for Humanity toprovide safe and affordable housing for people across the globe.
Since the partnership began in 1995, employees have helped build
or rehab 264 homes both domestically and internationally.
In 2018, Delta Air Lines completed its 15th Global Build with
Habitat for Humanity in Sancun, a small village 85 miles northof Guangzhou, China. Here, 52 Delta employees and retirees,
representing 18 stations and seven countries, along with 16 China
Eastern employees and four SkyMiles customers, worked together
to help with the construction of six new homes for local families.

72

We celebrated the 14th anniversary of the “Breast Cancer One” survivor flightin October—our keystone event that kicks off a month-long campaign togenerate awareness and raise money for BCRF. The Pink Plane carried
140 employee breast cancer survivors from Atlanta to Boston to celebrate
their victories, share inspiring stories of courage and raise funds forbreast cancer research.
• Employees raised a record $2.2 million in 2018 in support of the American
Cancer Society through events such as Relay for Life, the Delta Jet Drag andthe Hope Ball. Delta has supported the American Cancer Society for 16 years
and has contributed more than $13 million to support the organization’s
lifesaving initiatives, including medical research, education and patient programs.
• Delta employees annually contribute approximately $1. 6 million to United Way—a long-standing partner of more than 30 years. In addition, we have a 100 percent
giving participation rate from officers and directors across the company.

In addition to the six homes in China, employees got to work in
Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle, adding five more
Habitat homes to the 2018 roster. Homes in Atlanta were funded by
Delta’s Onboard Recycling Program, while the Seattle build was thethird in a housing development for military veterans built by Delta
employees who are also veterans.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

ARMED SERVICE MEMBERS
AND VETERANS
Supporting armed service members and veterans
is important to Delta, as nearly 12,000 active andretired military personnel are currently employedat Delta, many of whom balance active duty with
their Delta jobs.
In recognition of this, we support organizations that help military service
members, veterans and their families across the U.S.
• Delta serves as a principal funder of four Fisher House facilities, a network of
comfort homes where families of military personnel can stay at no cost while
their loved ones receive medical treatment.
• In addition to employee-led toy drives across the system in 2018, Delta
contributed $735,000 to U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots in 20 markets,
including $100,000 for the national literacy program. In Atlanta, employees
also participated in bike builds where 1,012 bikes were constructed by TechOps
employees and 15,000 toys were collected for local youth.
• Delta supports 14 USO chapters systemwide, as well as the Michigan Freedom
Center in the Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the Armed Forces Service Centersin Miami International Airport and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
In 2018, employees helped put together more than 8,000 care packages for
deployed military personnel in partnership with USO of Metropolitan New Yorkand USO Northwest.
• As a national sponsor of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, Delta
honors the legacy of the living Medal of Honor recipients with our highest
SkyMiles status, Diamond Medallion.
• Delta serves as a “friend of the fold” in support of the Folds of Honor Foundation
across 19 markets, helping the organization provide educational scholarships tothe children and spouses of fallen and disabled service members.
Delta customers also support our commitment to military personnel through
SkyWish, the charitable arm of the SkyMiles program. In 2018, Delta and ourcustomers donated a combined 14 million miles to the Fisher House Foundation’s
Hero Miles Program and Luke’s Wings as part of the annual Veterans Monthpromotion in November, helping to reconnect hundreds of service members with
their loved ones during hospitalization. Over the past five years, Delta and ourcustomers have donated more than 162 million miles to these organizations.

73

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTA BETTER CONNECTIONPROVIDING LIFE-SAVING RESOURCES
Delta employees, retirees and customers donated a record 11,085 pints of blood at
Delta-hosted American Red Cross blood drives across the system for the 2018 fiscal year
(YE 6/30), which equates to up to 33,000 lives saved.
This donation record—an 18 percent increase from the previous donation year—moved
Delta to the No. 1 spot for corporate blood donations in the U.S., marking the mostsuccessful year since the airline’s partnership with the humanitarian organization began in1941 during World War II. Delta was No. 11 on the corporate sponsor list just six years ago.
This fiscal year, Delta
4,920
2012
hosted 214 blood
5,291
+8%
2013
drives in 36 locations,
including one of the
6,087
+15%
2014
largest Red Cross blood
6,642
+9%
2015
drives in the country
hosted at Delta’s
2016
8,132
+22%
Technical Operations
9,375
+15%
2017
Center in Atlanta, which
consistently generates
11,085+18%
2018
more than 500 pints of
4,000 drives
6,000 in8,000
10,000Georgia;
12,000 Charlotte, North
blood each drive. Delta also added2,000
inaugural
Augusta,
Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; Norfolk, Virginia; San Francisco, California; and Washington, D.C.
Additionally, Delta provides ongoing contributions to the American Red Cross as an Annual
Disaster Giving Program member at the $1 million level and served as the title sponsorof the “Sound the Alarm. Save a Life.” program in 2018 to reduce fire-related deaths andinjuries in the U.S. by installing smoke alarms in homes across the nation.

DELTA BLOOD DRIVE LOCATIONS74

APPENDIXABOUT THIS REPORT........................76

SUBSIDIARIES........................................81

Materiality Assessment..............76

SUPPLY CHAIN...................................... 82

Stakeholder Engagement............77

Supplier ESG Assessment............ 82

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE............79

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY............................83

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION...........79

VERIFICATION.......................................84

GOVERNANCE.....................................79

GRI INDEX..................................................85

Corporate Governance.................79

SASB INDEX...............................................90

Sustainability Governance..........79

TCFD INDEX................................................91

Board Education& Communication........................ 80
Political Contributions& Lobbying Transparency.......... 80
Risk Management........................ 80
75

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTABOUTTHIS REPORT
Delta’s 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report (CRR) is our second reportaligned with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards framework. The 2018
CRR utilizes our most recent (2017) biannual GRI Materiality Assessment
priority topics. More information on our Materiality Assessment process andmaterial topics can be found on pages 76-78. The 2018 CRR is a snapshotof our ESG efforts covering the period of January 1, 2018, to December 31,
2018, and is an update to our previous report published in 2017. For all ESG
information defined as material in our 2017 Materiality Assessment, ESG
information and metrics are presented for the current year and for a minimumof three previous years. The report has been prepared in accordance withGRI Standards: Comprehensive application level. This report also provides
additional information and data, not specified by GRI, that Delta and its
stakeholders deem relevant to business operations. A complete GRI Standards
Content Index can be found beginning on page 85.

2018 CRR EXTERNAL ASSURANCE
We conduct assurance to verify our primary environmental impact—carbon
emissions. An external assurance statement for emissions can be found on
page 84.
Ruby Canyon Engineering, Inc. conducts our carbon emissions verificationand provides a reasonable level of assurance on our Statement of Greenhouse
Gas (GHG) Emissions for reporting. Verified emissions data back to 2005 is
publicly available on The Climate Registry website at www.cris4.org.
Note that Delta’s annual GRI reporting timeline and annual emissions
verification and reporting timelines do not coincide. For this reason, annual
verification of emissions data trails our CRR GRI report by one year. As aresult, annual emissions for the 2018 CRR reporting year will be verified after
the 2018 CRR has been published. Further, due to internal timeline reporting
differences, any discrepancies from past CRR reporting to final verification will
be noted in the external verification statement and in relevant tables.

ESG SUSTAINABILITY CONTACT
Please send comments or questions about the 2018 CRR tosustainability@delta.com or in writing to:
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Attn: John Laughter, Senior Vice President
Corporate Safety, Security & ComplianceDepartment 725
1020 Delta Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30354

76

MATERIALITY
Materiality is a key component of Delta’s annual corporate environmental,social and governance (ESG) reporting strategy because it allows us tostrategically address and provide information on our most relevant ESG topics
as defined by our six stakeholder groups:• Investors• Customers• Employees• Suppliers• Communities		• Governments & Nongovernmental Organizations
At Delta, we use our annual Corporate Responsibility Report (CRR) to
transparently communicate how we view, prioritize and approach the identified
ESG sustainability topics. We conduct materiality assessments on a biannual
basis. In 2017 we revisited our 2015 assessment, in line with reporting bestpractices, to both re-examine our ESG approach and to prepare us to transition
to the GRI Standards framework.
Our 2017 assessment initially evaluated and examined more than 68 different
topics that were then narrowed to 10 priority reporting topic areas. These
10 priority topic areas helped to further define the information which wereport on in 2018.

MATERIALITY ASSESSMENT PROCESSIn an effort to continuously evaluate and determine which priority topics are
key to operating a world class airline, we directly engaged our six stakeholder
groups through a questionnaire process. This type of direct engagement allows
us to both better understand the topics that are important to our stakeholders,
as well as to provide exceptional service in an evolving business environment.
While our stakeholder engagement activities prior to 2017 had historicallyfocused on customer service, satisfaction and support, the 2015 and 2017
materiality engagement processes allowed us to build on past efforts andfurther define our priority topics.

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTMETHODOLOGY
Drawing on GRI guidance we utilized a four-step approach. The process first sought to IDENTIFY possible topics, then PRIORITIZE topics, VALIDATE results and finally
APPLY & ALIGN the list to our CRR reporting strategy and to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

1

2

Identification
Following cross-industry andindustry research, a coverage
universe of 68 potential material
topics was established. From
this universal list, topics werethen narrowed to 30 of the most
relevant airline specific topics.

3

Prioritization
Based on the narrowed list of 30
topics, a survey was developedthat asked stakeholders to rank theimportance of each topic relative tothe others. We disseminated two
versions of survey—one to internal
stakeholders and another to external
stakeholders. Both internal andexternal survey results were thenaggregated and analyzed to create an
initial topic ranking and matrix.

4

Validation
Delta’s CRR reporting committee
reviewed and discussed the matrix
and prioritization of the 30 material
issues. Based on this discussion, afinal ranking and matrix were created.

Application & Alignment
The material topic list was mapped
and applied to GRI comprehensive
disclosures and aligned with the
UNSDGs (see 2018 CRR page 14).
Translating and prioritizing matrix
results into reporting topics produced
a list of the top 10 material topics forreporting. While the top 10 topics list
receives the highest degree of coveragein our CRR, the final list of 30 topics
also helped to inform the full extent of
information found in the 2018 report.

MATERIAL ISSUES
ISSUE
1Customer Safety and Security

16

Recycling, Reuse and Upcycling of Materials

2

Customer Satisfaction

17

Risk Managment

3

Customer Data Privacy

18

Human Trafficking

4

Occupational Health and Safety

19

Anti-Corruption and Anti-Competitive Behavior

5

Employee Satisfaction

20

Supply Chain Human Rights

6

Fleet Strategy

21

Climate Change Strategy

7

Environmental Compliance and Regulation

22

Corporate Philanthropy

8

Ethics Management

23

Diversity and Inclusion

9

Customer Nondiscrimination24

Aircraft Component Sourcing and End-of-Life

10

Training and Development

25

Community Economic Impact

11

Financial Performance and Growth26

Board Oversight of Sustainability

12

Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions

27

Supplier Environmental Impact

13

Equal Opportunity and Gender Pay Equality

28

Employee Volunteerism

14

Corporate Transparency

29

Suppllier Diversity

15

Workforce Talent and Turnover

30

Political Contributions and Lobbying Transparency

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Continuous engagement and regular dialogue with our six defined stakeholder groups, through both formal and informal processes, allows us to innovate andproactively address emerging ESG needs and risks.
In addition to ongoing internal stakeholder engagement efforts and commitments, we regularly engage with external stakeholders on trending and emerging issues
that matter to them. One way we do this is by responding to inquiries and requests for information related to our ESG sustainability practices.

77

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTIn addition to understanding that direct and indirect stakeholder engagements allow us to innovate and evolve our ESG efforts, we understand that increasedtransparency also helps us effectively improve our business over the long term. A list of external charters and associations Delta is actively engaged with includes:• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)• CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project)• The Climate Registry• Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI)• FTSE4Good• Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index• International Air Transport Association (IATA)

Our long-standing commitment to engagement also allows us the opportunity to continue to refine corporate governance and corporate strategy over the long term.
The following table summarizes our 2018 ESG stakeholder engagement efforts:

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AT-A-GLANCESTAKEHOLDERGROUPPRIMARY COMMUNICATIONCHANNELS/FREQUENCY

KEY
ISSUES

EXAMPLES OF
2018 ACTIONSInvestors• Annual shareholder meetings• Annual report, quarterly earnings
reports and proxy statement• External recognition, ratings and rankings• Investor Day• Financial performance and governance matters• Return on investment• Transparent reporting of ESG practices
and disclosures• Held Investor Day• Initiated contact with 95 percent of top 20 actively managed
investors and 65 percent of our outstanding shares• Attended more than 10 industry conferenceswith senior management• Participated in calls with key investors

Customers• 1 9 different customer groupsatisfaction surveys• Social media

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Superior customer service
Reliable and on-time flights
Technology enhancements and in-flight comfort
Efficient cargo and baggage delivery
Disability Program and nondiscrimination policy
Service animal support
Human trafficking• Improved our overall Net Promoter Score by 4 points• Ranked first among North American airlines in
on-time performance• Working with US CBP, launched the first biometric terminalin Atlanta• Provided diversity training to 23,000 flight attendants• Maintain an Advisory Board on Disability• Revised service animal policy• Expanded anti-human trafficking signage in airports

Employees

•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•

Competitive pay and benefits
Workplace safety
Clear communication
Work/life balance
Career and growth opportunities
Support of a diverse workforce• Achieved an 85 percent employee satisfaction survey score• Shared $1.1 billion in profits with employees• Invested $50 million to modernize human resources,
including career development, and technology• Signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion• Maintain a 24/7 Safety, Ethics and Compliance Helpline• New human trafficking training available for all employees

•
•
•
•

Employee Satisfaction Survey(4) In-Flight Employee Involvement Groups(2) Employee Support Groups(10) Business Resource Groups
Reservations Liaison for Information
Networking and Communication (ResLINC)
Frontline Involvement Team (FIT)
Velvet 360 Tour
Town Hall Program
Delta Board Council

Suppliers• Supplier ESG Assessment• Supplier Diversity (MBE, WBE
and SBE) engagement• A ssess the technical, financial and regulatory
challenges associated with bio-jet opportunities• U tilized our Supplier Performance Management Programwith operationally critical suppliers to facilitate the use ofmonthly performance scorecards, periodic business reviews
and discussions of sustainable business procedures• Increased spend with minority, veteran, LGBT and womenowned businesses by 14.3 percent to reach $1.379 million.

Government &Nongovernmental
Organizations• C ollaborative partnerships withgovernments and NGOs around the world• Industry associations• External recognition, ratings and rankings• Facilitation of cross-border travel• Expansion of security initiatives• Socially and environmentallyfriendly business practices• Support for infrastructure
investment and maintenance• Assurance of competitive marketplaces• Private-sector expertise and resources• Transparent reporting practices• C ontinued to support efforts to develop alternative fuels
and modernize the U.S. air traffic control system• Implemented measures that resulted in a 1.23 percent
increase in fuel efficiency• Upheld our commitment to carbon-neutral growth for thesixth consecutive year
• Purchased more than 2.5 million carbon offsets• Realized a year-over-year reduction in the amount of
nonhazardous waste volume generated in our operations

Communities

•
•
•
•

• Employee volunteerism and local support• Flight and travel safety programs• Support for Three Pillars of Focus:
1. Advancing Education
2. Improving Health
3. Supporting Armed Service Members and Veterans• G ave 1 percent of previous year’s net income, or more than
$50 million, back to communities• 52 employees from 18 stations and seven countries
completed our 15th Global Habitat for Humanity Build
in China• Employees and customers together raised a record$5.9 million in 2018 for the American Cancer Society,
American Heart Association, Breast Cancer Research
Foundation and the United Way

78

The Delta Air Lines Foundation
Delta Air Lines corporate contributions
Contributions to nonprofit organizations
Social media

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTFINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

10-Q and investor relations website http://ir.delta.com. In this report,
financial performance data focuses on economic performance as it relates toenvironmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. The organizational entities
covered in this CRR are the same as those presented in our Annual Report.

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION

represented by unions. The following table shows our domestic airline employee
groups that are represented by unions—numbers from the December 31, 2018
10K page 10.
• Delta Pilots = 13,203• Delta Flight Superintendents (Dispatchers)* = 432• Endeavor Air Pilots = 1,976• Endeavor Air Flight Attendants* = 1,307• Endeavor Air Dispatchers* = 60
*We are in discussions with representatives of these employee groups regarding
terms of amendable collective bargaining agreements.

GOVERNANCE

In addition, we make available on our website all documents filed with theUnited States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our Annual
Report on Form 10-K and Proxy Statement for each annual meeting. Thesefilings contain detailed information about our activities, including financial
performance, business strategy and executive compensation.

We primarily report on our organization and our financial performancethrough our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form

Delta respects all employees’ legal rights, including the rights to free associationand collective bargaining. This includes the right to decide whether to be
represented by a union. Our U.S.-based employees are covered by the Railway
Labor Act (RLA), the federal law governing labor relations between air carriers
and their employees. Under the RLA, employees have the right to decide
whether they wish to be represented by a union. They also have the right toreject union representation. As of December 31, 2018, we had more than 80,000
full-time equivalent employees, approximately 19 percent of whom were

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Ensuring that the right people, principles and guidelines are in place has helped
us secure our current position as one of the world’s most admired airlines. We
are proud of our history of good corporate governance. To learn more about
our corporate governance, policies, processes and procedures, please visit ourgovernance website page at http://ir.delta.com/governance.
Online governance documents include:• Bylaws• Certificate of Incorporation• Director Independence Standards• Audit Committee Charter• Corporate Governance Committee Charter• Finance Committee Charter• Personnel and Compensation Committee Charter• Safety and Security Committee Charter• Employee Code of Ethics and Business Conduct• Stock Ownership Guidelines• Corporate Governance Principles

79

SUSTAINABILITY GOVERNANCE
Delta’s stakeholders expect us to produce sustainable and responsible positive
financial results while investing in healthy communities, maintaining a robust
workforce and protecting natural environments. Collectively, these expectations
drive our approach to ESG sustainability and responsibility. For this reason, ESG
sustainability at Delta is defined as meeting the company’s financial goals of
growth and profitability over time through innovative business practices thatminimize the environmental impact of Delta operations and promote thehealth, welfare and productivity of the individuals and communities we employ
and serve.
The highest governance body for ESG oversight is the Delta Board of Directors
Corporate Governance Committee, the charter of which was amended to include
responsibility for the oversight of Delta’s sustainability efforts and progress. This
committee received two sustainability briefings in 2018.

APPENDIXAt the operations level, ESG oversight is the responsibility of our Executive
Environmental Leadership Council (EELC), which is made up of senior leaders
who help establish and support environmental sustainability and corporate
responsibility policy, strategy and action plans that address risks and opportunities.
Seeking continuous improvement, including self-evaluation and risk mitigation
related to ESG, the EELC met in 2018 to further align and direct sustainability andclimate change issues and initiatives that included:• Industry engagement on climate change policy at the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO)• Performance against the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA)
1.5 percent fuel efficiency improvement goal
• Climate change and biofuel strategy and action plan
• Stakeholder engagement on sustainability• Environmental partnerships, including carbon offsets from The Nature Conservancy• Sustainability reporting and disclosures through the Corporate Responsibility Report,
the CDP, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and corporate customer questionnaires.

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTBOARD EDUCATION & COMMUNICATIONThe Board recognizes the importance of continuing education and encourages
members to take advantage of education opportunities at Delta’s expense.
Additionally, the Board remains in touch with stakeholder concerns throughseveral communication processes.
The Board and the EELC are also regularly briefed on trends related to material
issues and on stakeholder ESG concerns. Relating directly to ESG, the Board
enhances its knowledge by:• Reviewing ESG industry trends related to strategy, performance, policies and goals• Reviewing other Delta governance body reports

POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS & LOBBYING TRANSPARENCY 1,2
In 2018, DeltaPAC gave $1,192,500 to federal-level candidates, committees and party
committees. In 2018, corporate spending for federal lobbying expenses totaled$3,287,092 and state level corporate political contributions totaled $476,217.

RISK MANAGEMENT
EELC Leader Members Include:• Senior Vice President—Corporate Real Estate• Managing Director—Global Environment, Sustainability and Compliance• Senior Vice President—Fuel Management• Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer• Vice President—Brand Management• Senior Vice President—Flight Operations• Vice President—Investor Relations• Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer• Senior Vice President—Safety, Security and Compliance• Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer• Senior Vice President—Supply Chain Management & Fleet• Senior Vice President—Technical Operations• Vice President—Sales Operations and Development• Vice President—Operations and Customer Center• Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer• Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
In 2018, day-to-day environmental events were addressed by the affected
operational division. While the EELC serves as the primary governance body
responsible for addressing ESG policy risks, the Board of Directors’ Corporate
Governance Committee and the Delta Risk, Privacy and Compliance Council
also maintain oversight. In 2018, the EELC received no reports of critical ESG
concerns or issues. However, we remain aware of concerns related to theimpact of carbon emissions and climate change from the aviation industry. In
recognition of industry concerns, we are actively engaged with ICAO efforts
to establish an efficiency standard and a carbon neutral growth initiative.
1

The global and highly competitive nature of our industry presents many risks.
Financial and operational risks include the following factors, among others:• High fuel costs or cost increases, including in the cost of crude oil, could havea material adverse effect on our operating results.
• Significant extended disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel could have amaterial adverse effect on our operations and operating results.
• The effects of rebalancing our fuel hedge portfolio and mark-to-market
adjustments may have a negative effect on our financial results.
• Our significant investments in airlines in other parts of the world and thecommercial relationships that we have with those carriers may not produce
the returns or results we expect.
• We are at risk of losses and adverse publicity stemming from a serious
accident involving our aircraft or aircraft of our airline partners.
• Breaches or lapses in the security of our technology systems and the data westore could compromise passenger or employee information and expose us toliability, possibly having a material adverse effect on our business.
• Disruptions of our information technology infrastructure could interfere with
our operations, possibly having a material adverse effect on our business.
• Failure of our technology to perform effectively could have an adverse effecton our business.
• Agreements governing our debt, including credit agreements, include financial
and other covenants. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in
events of default.
• Employee strikes and other labor-related disruptions may adversely affectour operations.

Lobbying Expenses: http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldsearch.aspx (Search Registrant Name: Delta Air Lines)

Political Contributions:
DeltaPAC federal contributions: https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00104802/?tab=filings&cycle=2018
Georgia state contributions: http://media.ethics.ga.gov/Search/Campaign/Campaign_Name.aspx?NameID=230&FilerID=NC2006000059&Type=committee
California state contributions: http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1392393&session=2017&view=contributions

280

APPENDIX• Our results can fluctuate due to the effects of weather, natural disasters
and seasonality.
• An extended disruption in services provided by third parties, including
third-party regional carriers, could have a material adverse effect on our
results of operations.
• The failure or inability of insurance to cover a significant liability related to an
environmental or other incident associated with the operation of our refinery
could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial results.
• The operation of Monroe Energy is subject to significant environmental
regulation. Failure to comply with environmental regulations or theenactment of additional regulation could have a negative impact on ourconsolidated financial results.
• If we lose senior management and other key employees and they are notreplaced by individuals with comparable skills, our operating results could
be adversely affected.
• Our reputation and brand could be damaged if we are exposed tosignificant adverse publicity through social media.
• Terrorist attacks, geopolitical conflict or security events may adversely
affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
• The global airline industry is highly competitive and, if we cannot
successfully compete in the marketplace, our business, financial conditionand operating results will be materially adversely affected.
• Extended interruptions or disruptions in service at major airports in which
we operate could have a material adverse impact on our operations.
• The airline industry is subject to extensive government regulation, andnew regulations may increase our operating costs.
• Because of the global nature of our business, unfavorable global economic
conditions or volatility in currency exchange rates could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
• Economic conditions following the United Kingdom’s exit from theEuropean Union could adversely affect our business.
• The rapid spread of contagious illnesses can have a material adverse effecton our business and results of operations.

SUBSIDIARIESREPORTING

Delta Air Lines subsidiaries are not subject to Delta Air Lines environmental
policy, procedures or reporting requirements. As such, details of listed
subsidiary environmental performance, governance and regulatorycompliance, including carbon emissions, are not included in this report.

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTDELTA SUBSIDIARIESPARENT COMPANY: DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

Subsidiaries:
1. Aero Assurance Ltd.
2. Air4 Passenger Service Systems, LLC
3. Comair Holdings, LLC
		Subsidiaries:
		 1. Comair Services, Inc.
			 Subsidiaries:
		 1. Delta Private Jets, Inc.
4. DAL Global Services, LLC*
5. Delta Air Lines Dublin Limited
6.	Delta Air Lines, Inc. and Pan American World Airways
UNTERSTUTZUNGSKASSE GMBH
7. Delta Air Lines Private Limited
8. Delta Flight Products, LLC
9. Delta Material Services, LLC
10. Delta Professional Services, LLC
11. Delta Receivables, LLC
12. Delta Sky Club, Inc.
13.	Delta Vacations, LLC
Subsidiaries:
1. Delta Gift Cards, Inc.
14. Endeavor Air, Inc.
15. Epsilon Trading, LLC
16.	Monroe Energy, LLC**
Subsidiaries:
1. MIPC, LLC
17. Montana Enterprises, Inc.
18. New Sky, Ltd.
19. Northwest Airlines, LLC
20. NW Red Baron LLC
21. TATL Services B.V. (100% owned by Delta Air Lines, Inc.)
22.	DL International Enterprises, LLC (100% owned by Delta Air Lines, Inc.)
23.	DL Investment Partners, L.P. (Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a 99.9% General
Partner; DL International Enterprises, LLC is a 0.1% Limited Partner)
24.	DAL Foreign Holdings C.V. (Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a 99.8% General Partner;
DL Investment Partners, L.P. is a 0.1%
General Partner; DL International Enterprises, LLC is a 0.1% Limited Partner)
25.	DAL Europe C.V. (DAL Foreign Holdings C.V. is a 89.9% General Partner;
DL Investment Partners, L.P. is a 10% General Partner;
DL International Enterprises, LLC is a 0.1% Limited Partner)
26. DAL Leasing Limited (DAL Europe C.V. is the sole Member)
27. Delta TATL UK Limited (DAL Europe C.V. is the sole Member)**Sold in December 2018.
**Monroe Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, operates an oil refinery outside of Philadelphia. The refinery has more than 490 employees and fulfills approximately 70 percent of Delta’s domestic jet fuel needs throughboth direct production and various exchange agreements. Monroe Energy is a limited-liability company that operates independently of Delta Air Lines with its own operational and environmental policies and its own management foroversight of its policies.

81

APPENDIX

SUPPLY CHAIN

Delta is firmly committed to social, environmental and economic responsibility
in all our operations. Delta’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) professionals
operate at a level befitting a global airline leader, following rigorous internalmaterial standards for sourcing, procurement and selection of our suppliers
and business partners.
Delta’s SCM organization has multiple units that partner with businessdivisions to formulate business and sourcing strategies to deliver sustainable
results to the company. This ensures a continuous supply of cost-competitive,
quality goods and services that meet responsibility requirements. SCM is acomponent of the long-term sustainable support we provide to our customers.
This is why we work hand in hand with vendors and suppliers to manage theservices and products they provide.
There are many links in our supply chain beyond procurement. These include
logistics, distribution, materials management and transportation.
We partner with our suppliers and business units to manage services using thefollowing values:• Integrity and ethical behavior• Fact-based decision-making• Challenging the status quo• Enhancing shareholder value• Diversity• Teamwork• Continuous improvement• Respect for people and the value they bring• Innovation• Excellence in performance

SUPPLIER ESG ASSESSMENT
Our strategic sourcing process defines how we work with suppliers to ensurethat they are operating up to our standards. We actively engage with NGOs,
industry peers and other stakeholders to develop our strategic sourcing
process to best address ESG issues within our supply chain. This includes adue-diligence policy to screen all key suppliers for potential environmental,social and governance (ESG) risk factors. Following this process helps eliminate
any potential negative impacts of our global supply chain—which in turnhelps Delta improve. We hold ourselves to the same high standards as our
suppliers, adhering to operational ESG requirements and using mechanisms formonitoring, reporting and correcting ESG issues.
As part of our Procurement Policy, we seek to understand and mitigate supplierrisk when making sourcing decisions. A key part of this policy includes assessing
the following ESG risk factors:

82

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Environmental• Energy Use/Efficiency• Environmental Breaches• Waste Reduction• Environmental Emissions• Deployment of Renewables• Carbon Footprint• Hazardous Waste
Social• Employee Health & Safety• Lost Injury Days
• Community Investment• Diversity Issues• Employee Labor Practices• Absence Rate/Turnover• Customer Perception
Corporate Governance• Reporting & Transparency• Audit Processes• Notices of Violation• Training & Development• Performance Management• Shareholder Interests• Anti-corruption Practices
The two most important documents we use to verify that our suppliers adhere
to sustainable business practices are our Supplier Code of Conduct and Supplier
Sustainability Guidelines. The Supplier Code of Conduct is distributed to all
vendors, who are required to read and agree to comply with all requirements.
To further ensure continuous improvement, we offer a Supplier Performance
Management program. The program includes the use of monthly performance
scorecards and periodic business reviews that may include discussions of developing
and maintaining sustainable business processes. In 2018 most operationally criticalsuppliers participated in business reviews and scorecarding activities. Taking ESG
factors into account when we select suppliers adds shareholder value by reducing risks.
It also addresses customer desires to do business with a company that values ethicalbusiness practices.

APPENDIX

SUPPLIERDIVERSITY

Delta recognizes the critical role suppliers play in our global value chain. As a
global service provider, “local” to us means maximizing our responsible returns
to stakeholders through diversity and by requiring significant expenditures in thecommunities we serve. Expenditures include contracted labor, facility rents andlanding fees that support local airport station operations across the Delta system.
Commitment to diversity in our supply chain means ensuring that our supplierbase reflects the diversity of our customers. To do this, we set annual spend
targets with minority- and women-owned businesses, and we measure progress
toward achieving these targets.
In 2018, we spent $1.379 million with minority, veteran, LGBTQ and women-owned
businesses, a 14.3 percent increase over 2017. We’ve achieved this high level byidentifying viable, diverse companies—then helping them understand and develop
the capabilities required to compete successfully for Delta business. We encourage
our Tier I suppliers to build similar relationships with diverse businesses.

83

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTAPPENDIXVERIFICATION84

DELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTAPPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTGRI INDEXDISCLOSURE
NUMBERDISCLOSURE
TITLE

2018
RESPONSE

GRI 102: General Disclosures
Organizational Profile
102-1

Name of the organization

Delta Air Lines, Inc.

102-2

Activities, brands, products, and services

Delta By-the-Numbers
Delta 2018 10-K pages 2-6

102-3

Location of headquarters

Delta By-the-Numbers
Delta 2018 10-K page 2

102-4

Location of operations

Delta By-the-Numbers
Delta 2018 10-K pages 2-3

102-5

Ownership and legal form

Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a publicly held corporation incorporated in the state of Delaware.
Our shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

102-6

Markets served

Delta By-the-Numbers
Delta 2018 10-K pages 2-6

102-7

Scale of the organization

Delta By-the-Numbers

102-8

Information on employees and other workers

Workforce Profile

102-9

Supply chain

Appendix—Supply Chain

102-10Significant changes to the organization and its supply chain

There have been no significant changes during the reporting period.

102-11

Precautionary Principle or approach

Delta has not formally adopted use of the precautionary principle. For Delta, adoption of theprinciple would apply primarily to potential harm related to use of fossil fuels and carbon emissions.
While the principle is not formally used we are aware of risks; we meet all SEC and compliancereporting standards; we have established a Climate Change Policy; and we are actively engaged
with the airline industry regarding mitigation efforts.

102-12External initiatives

Appendix—Stakeholder Engagement102-13

Membership of associations

Appendix—Stakeholder Engagement102-14

Statement from senior decision-makerA Message from Ed

102-15Key impacts, risks, and opportunities

Delta 2018 10-K pages 12-19
Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change
Appendix—Governance—Risk Management

Strategy

Ethics and Integrity
102-16

Values, principles, standards, and norms of behavior

Talent & Culture—Upholding Our Values

102-17

Mechanisms for advice and concerns about ethics

Talent & Culture—Upholding Our Values

Governance102-18Governance structure

Corporate Governance Principles

102-19Delegating authority

Appendix—Governance102-20Executive-level responsibility for economic, environmental,
and social topics

Appendix—Governance102-21

Consulting stakeholders on economic, environmental,
and social topics

Appendix—Governance
Delta 2019 Proxy, pages 10-11

102-22Composition of the highest governance body and its committees

Board of Directors

102-23Chair of the highest governance body

Delta 2019 Proxy, page 19102-24

Nominating and selecting the highest governance body

Corporate Governance Principles

102-25

Conflicts of interest

Delta Code of Ethics and Business Conduct

102-26

Role of highest governance body in setting purpose, values, and strategy

Appendix—Governance102-27

Collective knowledge of highest governance bodyAppendix—Governance102-28

Evaluating the highest governance body’s performance

The Board of Directors and each of its committees conducts an annual self-evaluation. This evaluation
includes a review of performance with respect to governance of economic, financial, operational,
environmental and social topics. The specific input process varies from year to year in order to promotecritical and productive self-evaluation. After self evaluation, the Board and each committee review theresults and appropriate actions are taken to address any areas of concern.

102-29Identifying and managing economic, environmental, and social impacts

Appendix—Governance
Delta 2019 Proxy, page 11

85

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTGRI INDEXDISCLOSURE
NUMBERDISCLOSURE
TITLE

2018
RESPONSE

102-30Effectiveness of risk management processes

Appendix—Governance
Delta 2019 Proxy, page 21102-31

Review of economic, environmental, and social topics

Appendix—Governance
Delta 2019 Proxy, pages 10-11

102-32Highest governance body’s role in sustainability reporting

Appendix—Governance102-33

Communicating critical concerns

Stockholders and other interested parties may communicate with Delta’s non-management
directors via e-mail at nonmgmt.directors@delta.com. Communications with non-management
directors may also be mailed to:
c/o Law Department, 981
Attn: Chief Legal Officer
1030 Delta Boulevard
Atlanta, GA 30354

102-34Nature and total number of critical concerns

Appendix—Governance102-35

Remuneration policies

Delta 2019 Proxy, pages 25-53

102-36

Process for determining remuneration

Delta 2019 Proxy, pages 25-53
Talent & Culture—Rewarding the Delta Team102-37

Stakeholders’ involvement in remuneration

Delta 2019 Proxy, page 25

102-38Annual total compensation ratio

Delta 2019 Proxy, page 51

102-39Percentage increase in annual total compensation ratio

Delta 2019 Proxy, page 51

Stakeholder Engagement102-40

List of stakeholder groups

Appendix—Stakeholder Engagement102-41

Collective bargaining agreements

Delta 2018 10-K page 10102-42

Identifying and selecting stakeholders

Appendix—Stakeholder Engagement102-43

Approach to stakeholder engagement

Appendix—Stakeholder Engagement102-44

Key topics and concerns raised

Appendix—Stakeholder Engagement

Reporting Practices
102-45

Entities included in the consolidated financial statements

Delta 2018 10-K page 55

102-46

Defining report content and topic Boundaries

Appendix—About This Report102-47

List of material topics

Appendix—About This Report102-48

Restatements of information

There have been no restatements in this reporting period.

102-49Changes in reporting

Appendix—About This Report102-50

Reporting period

Appendix—About This Report102-51

Date of most recent report

Appendix—About This Report102-52

Reporting cycle

Appendix—About This Report102-53

Contact point for questions regarding the report

Appendix—About This Report102-54Claims of reporting in accordance with the GRI Standards

Appendix—About This Report102-55

GRI content index

Appendix—About This Report102-56External assurance

Appendix—About This Report

Topic-Specific Standards
GRI 205: Anti-Corruption
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Delta Code of Ethics & Business Conduct
Talent & Culture—Upholding Our Values

103-2

The management approach and its components

Delta Code of Ethics & Business Conduct
Talent & Culture—Upholding Our Values

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Delta Code of Ethics & Business Conduct

205-1

Operations assessed for risks related to corruption

Enterprisewide assessment for corruption-related risks.

205-2

Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures

Talent & Culture—Upholding Our Values

205-3

Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken

There were no incidents of corruption during 2018.

86

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTGRI INDEXDISCLOSURE
NUMBERDISCLOSURE
TITLE

2018
RESPONSE

GRI 206: Anti-Competitive Behavior
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Delta Code of Ethics & Business Conduct
Talent & Culture—Upholding Our Values

103-2

The management approach and its components

Delta Code of Ethics & Business Conduct
Talent & Culture—Upholding Our Values

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Delta Code of Ethics & Business Conduct
Talent & Culture—Upholding Our Values

206-1

Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices

Delta 2018 10-K pages 22, 55

103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

103-2

The management approach and its components

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

302-1

Energy consumption within the organization

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

302-2

Energy consumption outside of the organization

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

302-3

Energy intensity

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

302-4

Reduction of energy consumption

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

302-5

Reductions in energy requirements of products and services

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

GRI 302: Energy

GRI 305: Emissions
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change
Delta's Carbon Emissions Policy

103-2

The management approach and its components

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change
Delta’s Carbon Emissions Policy

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change
Delta’s Carbon Emissions Policy

305-1

Direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

305-2

Energy indirect (Scope 2) GHG emissions

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

305-3

Other indirect (Scope 3) GHG emissions

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

305-4

GHG emissions intensity

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

305-5

Reduction of GHG emissions

Environmental Stewardship—Climate Change

305-6

Emissions of ozone-depleting substances (ODS)

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance—Protecting Air Quality

305-7

Nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur oxides (SOX), and other significant air emissions

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance—Protecting Air Quality

GRI 306: Effluents and Waste
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance

103-2

The management approach and its components

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance

306-1

Water discharge by quality and destination

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance—Waste Management

306-2

Waste by type and disposal method

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance—Waste Management306-3

Significant spills

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance—Managing and Mitigating Spills

306-4

Transport of hazardous waste

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance—Waste Management

306-5

Water bodies affected by water discharges and/or runoff

Delta does not significantly discharge into water bodies.

GRI 307: Environmental Compliance
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance
Delta's Environmental Policy

103-2

The management approach and its components

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance
Delta’s Environmental Policy

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance
Delta’s Environmental Policy

307-1

Non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations

Environmental Stewardship—Environmental Compliance
Delta’s Environmental Policy

87

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTGRI INDEXDISCLOSURE
NUMBERDISCLOSURE
TITLE

2018
RESPONSE

GRI 401: Employment
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Safety—Integrating Safety in Every Action
Talent & Culture—Health Benefits
Delta's Rules of the Road

103-2

The management approach and its components

Safety—Integrating Safety in Every Action
Talent & Culture—Health Benefits
Delta’s Rules of the Road

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Safety—Integrating Safety in Every Action
Talent & Culture—Health Benefits
Delta’s Rules of the Road

401-1

New employee hires and employee turnover

Talent & Culture—Workforce Profile

401-2

Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to temporary
or part-time employees

Appendix—Health Benefits

401-3

Parental leave

Delta does not track this information.

GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

SafetyThe Way We Fly

103-2

The management approach and its components

SafetyThe Way We Fly

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

SafetyThe Way We Fly

403-1

Workers representation in formal joint management–worker healthand safety committees

Safety—Integrating Safety in Every Action

403-2

Types of injury and rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days,
and absenteeism, and number of work-related fatalities

Safety—Integrating Safety in Every Action

403-3

Workers with high incidence or high risk of diseases related to their occupation

Delta is unaware of any high risk for diseases related to our employees' occupation.

403-4

Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions

Safety—Integrating Safety in Every Action

GRI 404: Training and Education
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Talent & Culture—Recruiting and Retaining the Best Delta Talent
The Way We Fly

103-2

The management approach and its components

Talent & Culture—Recruiting and Retaining the Best Delta Talent
The Way We Fly

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Talent & Culture—Recruiting and Retaining the Best Delta Talent
The Way We Fly

404-1

Average hours of training per year per employee

Talent & Culture—Recruiting and Retaining the Best Delta Talent404-2

Programs for upgrading employee skills and transition
assistance programs

Talent & Culture—Recruiting and Retaining the Best Delta Talent

404-3

Percentage of employees receiving regular performance andcareer development reviews

Talent & Culture—Recruiting and Retaining the Best Delta Talent

GRI 405: Diversity and Equal Opportunity
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Talent & Culture—Diversity, Inclusion & Equity

103-2

The management approach and its components

Talent & Culture—Diversity, Inclusion & Equity

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Talent & Culture—Diversity, Inclusion & Equity

405-1

Diversity of governance bodies and employees

Talent & Culture—Workforce Profile
Delta 2019 Proxy, page 8405-2

Ratio of basic salary and remuneration of women to men

Talent & Culture—Diversity, Inclusion & Equality

88

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTGRI INDEXDISCLOSURE
NUMBERDISCLOSURE
TITLE

2018
RESPONSE

GRI 416: Customer Health and Safety
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

SafetyCustomer Satisfaction

103-2

The management approach and its components

SafetyCustomer Satisfaction

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

SafetyCustomer Satisfaction

416-1

Assessment of the health and safety impacts of product and service categories

Safety416-2

Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts
of products and services

There were no incidents reported in 2018.

GRI 418: Customer Privacy
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Customer Satisfaction—Protecting Our Digital Assets
Customer Satisfaction—Transforming Travel Through Technology
Delta Air Lines, Inc. Privacy Policy

103-2

The management approach and its components

Customer Satisfaction—Protecting Our Digital Assets
Customer Satisfaction—Transforming Travel Through Technology
Delta Air Lines, Inc. Privacy Policy

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Customer Satisfaction—Protecting Our Digital Assets
Customer Satisfaction—Transforming Travel Through Technology
Delta Air Lines, Inc. Privacy Policy

418-1

Substantiated complaints concerning breaches of customer privacy
and losses of customer data

Confidentiality constraints maintain that Delta does not report this information.

GRI 419: Socioeconomic Compliance
103-1

Explanation of the material topic and its Boundary

Talent & Culture—Culture and Engagement

103-2

The management approach and its components

Talent & Culture—Culture and Engagement

103-3

Evaluation of the management approach

Talent & Culture—Culture and Engagement

419-1

Non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area

Delta 2018 10-K page 22

89

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTSUSTAINABILITY ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD INDEX
Topic

Activity Metrics

Topic

Greenhouse
Gas Emissions

MetricCode

Response

Available seat kilometers (ASK)

TR-AL-000.A

263,365 million (Available Seat Miles)

Passenger load factor

TR-AL-000.B

85.5%

Revenue passenger kilometers (RPK)

TR-AL-000.C

225,243 million (Revenue Passenger Miles)

Revenue ton kilometers (RTK)

TR-AL-000.D

This data is currently not publicly disclosed.

Number of departures

TR-AL-000.E

Over 15,000 flights per day (see page 6)

Average age of fleet

TR-AL-000.F

14.4 years (see page 51)

MetricCode

Response

Gross global Scope 1 emissions

TR-AL-110a.1

36,994,455 MT C02e (see page 53)

Discussion of long-term and short-term strategy or plan to manage Scope 1 emissions, emissions reduction targets,and an analysis of performance against those targets

TR-AL-110a.2

Pages 48-54(1) Total fuel consumed

TR-AL-110a.3

36,821,496 MT C02e (see page 53)(2) Percentage alternative fuelTR-AL-110a.3

0%(3) Percentage sustainable fuelTR-AL-110a.3

0%Percentage of active workforce covered under collective bargaining agreements

TR-AL-310a.1

19%

Labor Practices(1) Number of work stoppages

TR-AL-310a.2

0(2) Total days idle

TR-AL-310a.2

0Competitive
Behavior

Total amount of monetary losses as a result of legal proceedings associated with anti-competitive
behavior regulations

TR-AL-520a.1

N/A

Accident& Safety
Management90

Description of implementation and outcomes of a Safety Management System

TR-AL-540a.1

Pages 29-36

Number of aviation accidents

TR-AL-540a.2

5.48 per 1,094,558 flights

Number of governmental enforcement actions of aviation safety regulations

TR-AL-540a.3

Two non-safety governmental enforcement
actions were resolved in 2018 with theevents that precipitated the civil penalties
occurring prior to 2018.

APPENDIXDELTA AIR LINES, INC. | 2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORTTASK FORCE ON CLIMATE-RELATEDFINANCIAL DISCLOSURES
Disclosure Focus Area

Recommended Disclosure

Sourcea) Describe the board’s oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities.

Page 48
See also 2018 CDP Climate Change survey
response, Question C1.1a*, 1.1bb) Describe management’s role in assessing and managing climate-related risks
and opportunities.

Pages 48-54
See also 2018 CDP Climate Change
survey response, Question C1.2a*a) Describe the climate-related risks and opportunities the organization has
identified over the short, medium, and long term.

Pages 48-54
See also 2018 CDP Climate Change survey
response, Question C2.1 and C2.2a*b) Describe the impact of climate-related risks and opportunities on theorganization’s businesses, strategy, and financial planning.

Pages 48-54
See also 2018 CDP Climate Change survey response,
Section C2
2018 Form 10-K page 15c) Describe the potential impact of different scenarios, including a 2°C scenario,
on the organization’s businesses, strategy, and financial planning.

2018 CDP Climate Change survey response, Question C3.1a*a) Describe the organization’s processes for identifying and assessing
climate-related risks.

Pages 48-54
See also 2018 CDP Climate Change
survey response, Section C2b) Describe the organization’s processes for managing climate-related risks.

2018 CDP Climate Change survey response, Section C2c) Describe how processes for identifying, assessing, and managing climaterelated risks are integrated into the organization’s overall risk management.

Pages 48-54
2018 CDP Climate Change survey response, Section C2a) Disclose the metrics used by the organization to assess climate-related risks
and opportunities in line with its strategy and risk management process.

Pages 48-54
See also 2018 CDP Climate Change survey
response, Question C11.3a*b) Disclose Scope 1, Scope 2, and, if appropriate, Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, and the related risks.

Page 53c) Describe the targets used by the organization to manage climate-related risks
and opportunities and performance against targets.

Pages 48-54
2018 CDP Climate Change survey response, Section C4

Governance

Disclose the organization’s governance aroundclimate-related risks and opportunities.

Strategy

Disclose the actual and potential impacts of climaterelated risks and opportunities on the organization’s
businesses, strategy and financial planning.

Risk Management

Disclose how the organization identifies, assesses
and manages climate-related risks.

Metrics and Targets
Disclose the metrics and targets used to assess andmanage relevant climate-related risks and opportunities.

**Due to current reporting year (2018) verification of emissions data trailing the publication of Delta’s annual GRI report, verified emissions data is for 2017. 2018 emissions data will be verified by the end of 2019 and publicly
available at cris4.org.

911030 DELTA BLVD., ATLANTA, GA 30354

DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

2018 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT