Document:

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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.1

                      FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT

         THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT dated as of October 27, 2000
by and among DELTA AIR LINES, INC., a corporation organized under the laws of
the State of Delaware (the "Company"), the Banks appearing on the signature
pages hereof (the "Banks") and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., successor to NationsBank,
N.A. (South), as Agent Bank (the "Agent Bank").

         WHEREAS, the Company, the Banks and the Agent Bank entered into that
certain Credit Agreement dated as of May 2, 1997 (the "Credit Agreement")
pursuant to which the Banks made certain financial accommodations available to
the Company;

         WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Banks and the Agent Bank
amend the Credit Agreement in certain respects; and

         WHEREAS, the Banks and the Agent Bank are willing to so amend the
Credit Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

         NOW, THEREFORE, for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt
and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged by the parties, the parties
hereto agree as follows:

         SECTION 1.  AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT.

         The Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting Section 8.1 thereof
in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following:

                  "SECTION 8.1.  LIENS.

                           Create, assume or suffer to exist any
                  mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, lien or charge of any
                  kind (collectively, "Liens") upon any of its
                  property or assets, whether now owned or hereafter
                  acquired, except: (i) Liens where the aggregate
                  indebtedness secured by such Liens at any time does
                  not exceed the sum of (a) the greater of
                  $3,000,000,000 or fifteen percent (15%) of Equity
                  plus (b) the amount outstanding under the
                  obligations described on Schedule I hereof as
                  "Secured"; (ii) liens for taxes not yet due or which
                  are being contested in good faith; (iii) other
                  liens, charges and encumbrances incidental to the
                  conduct of its business or the ownership of its
                  property and assets which were not incurred to
                  secure the repayment of borrowed money or other
                  advances or credit, and which do not in the
                  aggregate materially detract from the value of its
                  property or assets or materially impair the use
                  thereof in the operation of its business; (iv) liens
                  imposed by law, such as carriers', warehousemen's,
                  mechanics', materialmen's and vendors' liens, for
                  sums not yet due or already due but the validity of
                  which is being contested in good faith; (v) Liens on
                  property or assets of a Subsidiary to secure
                  obligations of
<PAGE>   2

                  such Subsidiary to the Company or another
                  Subsidiary; (vi) Liens required by Section 7.6
                  hereof; and (vii) Liens on aircraft or aircraft
                  engines owned by the Company or any Subsidiary on or
                  before October 27, 2000 or thereafter acquired by
                  the Company or any Subsidiary, in either case to
                  secure the payment of all or any part of the
                  purchase price thereof or to secure any obligation
                  incurred or for which a firm commitment is obtained
                  prior to, at the time of, or after, the acquisition
                  of such property for the purpose of financing all or
                  any part of the purchase price thereof; provided,
                  however, that in the case of this clause (vii), (A)
                  the related indebtedness shall be permitted under
                  Section 8.2 hereof; (B) any such Lien shall attach
                  only to such aircraft and aircraft engines so
                  acquired or to be acquired; (C) the Lien securing
                  such indebtedness shall be created within 180 days
                  of such acquisition; (D) no Default or Event of
                  Default shall then exist or be created thereby; and
                  (E) in the case of any Liens covering aircraft or
                  aircraft engines owned by the Company or any
                  Subsidiary on or before October 27, 2000, the
                  aggregate indebtedness secured thereby shall not at
                  any time exceed $1,500,000,000."

         SECTION 2. EFFECTIVENESS OF AMENDMENT. This First Amendment shall not
be effective until the date (the "Amendment Effective Date") the following
conditions precedent to effectiveness shall be satisfied:

         (a)      (i) this First Amendment shall be executed and delivered by
the Company, the Agent Bank and each of the Banks and (ii) delivery of a notice
from the Agent Bank to the Banks and the Company that this First Amendment has
been fully executed by all parties hereto; and

         (b)      the Agent Bank shall have received a certificate from the
Treasurer of the Company certifying that, after giving effect to this First
Amendment, no Default or Event of Default under the Credit Agreement will be in
existence.

         SECTION 3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.

         (a)      In order to induce the Agent Bank and the Banks to enter into
this First Amendment, the Company hereby reaffirms each of the representations
and warranties of the Company contained in the Credit Agreement as of the date
hereof except to the extent that such representations and warranties expressly
relate solely to an earlier date (in which case such representations and
warranties were true and accurate on and as of such earlier date).

         (b)      The Company represents and warrants to the Agent Bank and the
Banks that, after giving effect to this First Amendment, no Default or Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing under the Credit Agreement.

         (c)      The execution, delivery and performance of this First
Amendment by the Company does not require the consent of any other Person under
any document, instrument or agreement to which the Company is a party or under
which the Company is bound.

                                       2
<PAGE>   3

         SECTION 4. REFERENCES TO THE CREDIT AGREEMENT. Each reference to the
Credit Agreement in the Credit Agreement, the Notes or any of the other
instruments, agreements, certificates or other documents executed in connection
therewith (collectively, the "Loan Documents"), shall be deemed to be a
reference to the Credit Agreement, as amended by this First Amendment, and as
the same may be further amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified
from time to time in accordance with Section 12.4 of the Credit Agreement.
Further, the Company acknowledges and agrees that all references to
"NationsBank, N.A. (South)" in its individual capacity or in its capacity as
Agent Bank (and any defined term used to designate "NationsBank, N.A. (South)"
in its individual capacity or in its capacity as Agent Bank) contained in the
Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be deemed to be references
to "Bank of America, N.A.".

         SECTION 5. EXPENSES OF AGENT BANK. The Company agrees to pay, on
demand, all costs and expenses incurred by the Agent Bank in connection with the
preparation, negotiation and execution of this First Amendment and any other
Loan Documents executed pursuant hereto and any and all amendments,
modifications, and supplements thereto, including, without limitation, the costs
and fees of the Agent Bank's legal counsel and any taxes or expenses associated
with or incurred in connection with any instrument or agreement referred to
herein or contemplated hereby.

         SECTION 6. BENEFITS. This First Amendment shall be binding upon, and
shall inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns.

         SECTION 7. GOVERNING LAW. THIS FIRST AMENDMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY,
AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, WITHOUT
GIVING EFFECT TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES.

         SECTION 8. EFFECT. Except as expressly herein amended, the terms and
conditions of the Credit Agreement shall remain in full force and effect without
amendment or modification, express or implied. The entering into this First
Amendment by the Agent Bank and the Banks shall not be construed or interpreted
as an agreement by the Agent Bank or the Banks to enter into any future
amendment or modification of the Credit Agreement or any of the other Loan
Documents.

         SECTION 9. COUNTERPARTS; TELECOPIED SIGNATURES. This First Amendment
may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties to this
First Amendment on separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall
be deemed to be an original and shall be binding upon all parties, their
successors and assigns. Any signature delivered or transmitted by a party by
facsimile transmission shall be deemed to be an original signature hereto.

         SECTION 10. FURTHER ASSURANCES. The Company agrees to take such further
actions as the Agent Bank shall reasonably request from time to time in
connection herewith to evidence or give effect to the amendments set forth
herein or any of the transactions contemplated hereby.

                                        3
<PAGE>   4

         SECTION 11. SECTION TITLES. Section titles and references used in this
First Amendment shall be without substantive meaning or content of any kind
whatsoever and are not a part of the agreements among the parties hereto.

         SECTION 12. RELEASE OF CLAIMS. To induce the Agent Bank and the Banks
to enter into this First Amendment, the Company hereby releases, acquits and
forever discharges the Agent Bank and the Banks, and all officers, directors,
agents, employees, successors and assigns of the Agent Bank and the Banks, from
any and all liabilities, claims, demands, actions or causes or actions of any
kind or nature (if there be any), whether absolute or contingent, disputed or
undisputed, at law or in equity, or known or unknown, that the Company now has
or ever had against such Persons arising under or in connection with any of the
Loan Documents or otherwise.

         SECTION 13. DEFINITIONS. All capitalized terms which are used herein
and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings given such terms as set
forth in the Credit Agreement.

                    [SIGNATURES CONTAINED ON FOLLOWING PAGES]

                                        4
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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this First Amendment
to Credit Agreement to be executed under seal by their duly authorized officers
as of the date above written.

                                 THE COMPANY:

                                 DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                    Title:
                                          -------------------------------------

                                 THE AGENT BANK:

                                 BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                    Title:
                                          -------------------------------------

                    [SIGNATURES CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGES]

                                        5
<PAGE>   6

             [SIGNATURE PAGE TO FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
            DATED AS OF OCTOBER 27, 2000 WITH DELTA AIR LINES, INC.]

                                 THE BANKS:

                                 BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 CITIBANK N.A.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 ROYAL BANK OF CANADA

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 SUNTRUST BANK

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                    [SIGNATURES CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGES]

                                       6
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             [SIGNATURE PAGE TO FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
            DATED AS OF OCTOBER 27, 2000 WITH DELTA AIR LINES, INC.]

                                 MITSUBISHI BANK AND TRUST

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 WACHOVIA BANK, N.A.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI,
                                    LTD., NEW YORK BRANCH

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 CIBC INC.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 THE INDUSTRIAL BANK OF JAPAN, LTD.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                    [SIGNATURES CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGES]

                                       7
<PAGE>   8

             [SIGNATURE PAGE TO FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
            DATED AS OF OCTOBER 27, 2000 WITH DELTA AIR LINES, INC.]

                                 THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 BANK OF MONTREAL

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 THE BANK OF NEW YORK

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 BAYERISCHE HYPO-UND VEREINSBANK AG,
                                   NEW YORK BRANCH

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 THE DAI-ICHI KANGYO BANK,
                                   LIMITED, NEW YORK BRANCH

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 PNC BANK, N.A.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                    [SIGNATURES CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGES]

                                       8
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             [SIGNATURE PAGE TO FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
            DATED AS OF OCTOBER 27, 2000 WITH DELTA AIR LINES, INC.]

                                 SANWA BANK,

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 THE TOYO TRUST & BANKING
                                   CO., LTD.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 MORGAN GUARANTY TRUST
                                   COMPANY OF NEW YORK

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 CREDIT LYONNAIS, NEW YORK BRANCH

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 THE FUJI BANK, LIMITED

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 KBC BANK NV

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                    [SIGNATURES CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGES]

                                       9
<PAGE>   10

             [SIGNATURE PAGE TO FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT
            DATED AS OF OCTOBER 27, 2000 WITH DELTA AIR LINES, INC.]

                                 BANK ONE NA

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 FIRST STAR BANK

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 THE SUMITOMO BANK, LIMITED

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 BANK OF SCOTLAND, NEW YORK

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                 BANK HAPOALIM B.M.

                                 By:
                                    -------------------------------------------
                                 Title:
                                       ----------------------------------------

                                       10<PAGE>   1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.2

                                                                  EXECUTION COPY

                                 FIRST AMENDMENT

         FIRST AMENDMENT, dated as of October 27, 2000 (this "Amendment"), to
the Credit Agreement, dated as of March 22, 1999, (the "Credit Agreement"),
among DELTA AIR LINES, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), the
financial institutions parties thereto (the "Banks"), CITIBANK, N.A., as
syndication agent (in such capacity, the "Syndication Agent") and THE CHASE
MANHATTAN BANK, as administrative agent for the Banks (in such capacity, the
"Administrative Agent").

                              W I T N E S S E T H:

         WHEREAS, pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Banks have agreed to
make, and have made, certain loans and other extensions of credit to the
Company; and

         WHEREAS, the Company has requested, and, upon this Amendment becoming
effective, the Majority Banks have agreed, that certain provisions of the Credit
Agreement be amended in the manner provided for in this Amendment.

         NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

         1.       Defined Terms. Terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used
herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

         2.       Amendment to Section 1.1. Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement
is hereby amended by adding thereto the following definitions in their
appropriate alphabetical order:

         "First Amendment" shall mean the First Amendment to this Agreement,
dated as of October 27, 2000.

         "First Amendment Effective Date" shall mean the Amendment Effective
Date (as defined therein) under the First Amendment.

         "Lien" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 hereof.

         3.       Amendment to Section 7.1. Section 7.1 of the Credit Agreement
is hereby amended by deleting said section in its entirety and substituting in
lieu thereof the following:

<PAGE>   2

                  SECTION  7.1 LIENS.

                  Create, assume or suffer to exist any mortgage, pledge,
         encumbrance, lien or charge of any kind (collectively, "Liens") upon
         any of its property or assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired,
         except: (i) Liens where the aggregate indebtedness secured by such
         Liens at any time does not exceed the sum of (a) the greater of
         $3,000,000,000 or fifteen percent (15%) of Equity plus (b) the amount
         outstanding under the obligations described on Schedule I hereof as
         "Secured"; (ii) liens for taxes not yet due or which are being
         contested in good faith; (iii) other liens, charges and encumbrances
         incidental to the conduct of its business or the ownership of its
         property and assets which were not incurred to secure the repayment of
         borrowed money or other advances or credit, and which do not in the
         aggregate materially detract from the value of its property or assets
         or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of its business;
         (iv) liens imposed by law, such as carriers', warehousemen's,
         mechanics', materialmen's and vendors' liens, for sums not yet due or
         already due but the validity of which is being contested in good faith;
         (v) Liens on property or assets of a Subsidiary to secure obligations
         of such Subsidiary to the Company or another Subsidiary; (vi) any Lien
         required by Section 6.6 hereof; (vii) Liens on aircraft or aircraft
         engines owned by the Company or any Subsidiary on or before the First
         Amendment Effective Date or thereafter acquired by the Company or any
         Subsidiary, in either case to secure the payment of all or any part of
         the purchase price thereof or to secure any obligation incurred or for
         which a firm commitment is obtained prior to, at the time of, or after,
         the acquisition of such property for the purpose of financing all or
         any part of the purchase price thereof; provided, however, that in the
         case of this clause (vii), (A) the related indebtedness shall be
         permitted under 7.2 hereof; (B) any such Lien shall attach only to such
         aircraft and aircraft engines so acquired or to be acquired; (C) the
         Lien securing such indebtedness shall be created within 180 days of
         such acquisition; (D) no Default or Event of Default shall then exist
         or be created thereby; and (E) in the case of any Liens covering
         aircraft or aircraft engines owned by the Company or any Subsidiary on
         or before the First Amendment Effective Date, the aggregate
         indebtedness secured thereby shall not at any time exceed
         $1,500,000,000.

         4.       Conditions to Effectiveness. This Amendment shall become
effective on the date (the "Amendment Effective Date") on which the Company and
the Majority Banks shall have executed and delivered to the Administrative Agent
this Amendment.

         5.       Representations and Warranties. The Company hereby represents
and warrants to the Banks and the Administrative Agent that the representations
and warranties made by the Company in the Credit Agreement are true and correct
in all material respects on and as of the Amendment Effective Date, before and
after giving effect to the effectiveness of this Amendment, as if made on and as
of the Amendment Effective Date.

                                       2
<PAGE>   3

         6.       Continuing Effect. Except as expressly amended, modified and
supplemented hereby, the provisions of the Credit Agreement are and shall remain
in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. This Amendment shall not
constitute an amendment or waiver of any provision of the Credit Agreement not
expressly referred to herein and shall not be construed as an amendment, waiver
or consent to any action on the part of the Company that would require an
amendment, waiver or consent of the Administrative Agent or the Banks except as
expressly stated herein. Any reference to the "Credit Agreement" in any
documents related to the Credit Agreement shall be deemed to be a reference to
the Credit Agreement as amended by this Amendment.

         7.       Governing Law. This Amendment and the rights and obligations
of the parties hereto shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in
accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

         8.       Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed by one or more of
the parties to this Agreement on any number of separate counterparts, and all of
said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same
instrument. A set of the copies of this Amendment signed by all the parties
shall be lodged with the Company and the Administrative Agent. This Amendment
may be delivered by facsimile transmission of the relevant signature pages
hereof.

                                       3
<PAGE>   4
                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Amendment to be duly executed and delivered by their respective proper and duly
authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

                                      DELTA AIR LINES, INC.

                                      By:
                                         --------------------------------------
                                      Name:
                                      Title:

                                      By:
                                         --------------------------------------
                                      Name:
                                      Title:

                                      THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK

                                      By:
                                         --------------------------------------
                                      Name:
                                      Title:

                                      -----------------------------------------

                                      By:
                                         --------------------------------------
                                      Name:
                                      Title:

                                       4

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