At Delta, we believe that we cannot connect the world unless we reflect and fully respect the diversity of the world. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce and communities, closing representation gaps, boldly pursuing equity, fostering an inclusive culture and providing opportunities for all employees to thrive.
Transparency and accountability are key to driving sustainable change, which is why we measure and routinely report our progress against our DEI priorities. We have the full engagement of our Board of Directors, leadership team and external partners. Our DEI Council, comprised of nearly 30 senior leaders across the company, ensures our goals are embedded throughout the organization. In addition, our BRGs offer diverse perspectives that shape both our growth strategy and programs impacting our people, customers and communities.
Delta is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We provide reasonable accommodation in our application and selection process for qualified individuals, including accommodations related to compliance with conditional job offer requirements.
As part of our commitment to transparency, and, based on feedback from internal and external stakeholders, we publish our latest EEO-1 report as submitted to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on our corporate website.
Delta’s eye toward creating equitable outcomes for all is rooted in our inside-out approach that begins with transforming our own organization and extends to standing on the power of our brand to drive change in the communities where we live, work and serve. With accountability and transparency as our foundation, we’re making meaningful and measurable progress with actions aimed to connect all people to their potential.”
Workforce Diversity1,2
Geschlecht
Alter
Race
Veteran Status4
Our ‘Close the Gap’ Strategy
Delta is on a journey to further diversify our workforce across all levels of the organization by working to close representation gaps between frontline employees and leadership roles. Our strategy to employ the best talent in the business includes ensuring we do not lose sight of the most underrepresented groups. We actively evaluate our representation data to assess our progress and enhance our programs, always pursuing equitable outcomes for all Delta people.
Our 2023 Close the Gap updateopens in a new window revealed that Delta increased representation of women, Black talent and Latin/Hispanic talent in roles across the company thanks to our continued investments in a skills-based talent approach that includes the apprenticeship program as well as the Delta Analytics Academy, which help frontline employees transition to corporate roles. Our progress shows us we are moving in the right direction towards a more equitable business.
CLOSE THE GAP PROGRESS1
From 2020 to 2023, Delta increased representation of women, Black talent and Latin/Hispanic talent in roles across the company
Our Commitment to Racial Equity
We are taking action to become a more just, equitable and anti-racist company through five core goals:
Core goal 1 Reimagine Our Talent Strategy
Increase qualified hires and improve equitable outcomes for talent within underrepresented racial and ethnic groups
PROGRESS AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Hiring Black external candidates for 12% of General Manager, Director and Managing Director roles in 2023
- 82% of all job openings filled externally in 2023 did not require a college degree
- Engaging 35+ Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in our recruitment efforts and through $1.5+ million in grants with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
- Broadening internal and external career pathways and reflecting greater diversity on our hiring panels
DEEPENING OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH HBCUS
We partner with HBCUs in Atlanta, Georgia, and nationally to help build a diverse pipeline of talent through a range of recruitment and career development programs. In addition to funding scholarships through our decades-long partnership with UNCF, we coordinate on-campus recruiting events for HBCU students to meet with Delta’s talent acquisition team. In 2023, we welcomed 55 students from 13 HBCUs to our global headquarters for “From the Yard to Delta Boulevard,” an immersive, two-day experience that included the opportunity to interview for summer internships at Delta.
Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina recently became the second HBCU to join Delta’s Propel Collegiate Pilot Career Path Program. The program provides students from 16 post-secondary institutions with a defined, accelerated path to becoming a Delta pilot. Upon selection to the program, students receive a qualified job offer for a pilot position at Delta.
Core goal 2 Ensure Delta Reflects the World We Serve
Increase equitable outcomes by expanding the representation of women, Black and other underrepresented racial and ethnic groups
PROGRESS AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Establishing and expanding Talent Acquisition partnerships with organizations focused on Latin/Hispanic professionals
- Assigning Talent Acquisition liaisons to BRGs to advance our Skills-First hiring strategy
- Expanding our K-12 outreach in underserved communities to proactively address projected pilot and mechanic pipeline gaps
- Forming new recruiting partnerships with organizations dedicated to LGBTQ+, veteran and disabled talent
MAKING HISTORY BY TAKING FLIGHT
Two Delta pilots – Aluel Bol and Khady Ndiaye – are the first female commercial pilots from their respective homelands of South Sudan and Senegal. Bol, a 737 captain who earned her wings in 2018, and Ndiaye, a 757/767 first officer since 2022, hope to inspire the next generation of women who aspire to reach the flight deck. According to Sisters of the Skies, there are only approximately 200 Black female pilots nationwide (<1% of U.S. pilots).
PERCENTAGE OF OFFICERS FROM EACH RACIAL/ETHNIC DENOMINATION1
As of December 2023 based on self-identification:
- Totals may not sum due to rounding.
- The demographics present in Other Racial and Ethnic Groups: Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Two or More races/ethnicities.
Core goal 3 Create More Equitable Opportunities
Remove barriers to and within Delta through equity-focused programs and partnerships
PROGRESS AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Committing to serve as the OneTen Atlanta City Lead to mobilize Georgia businesses to promote equity through skills-based talent practices that support OneTen’s mission to hire, promote and advance one million Black individuals into family-sustaining careers
- Engaging policy leaders on issues impacting the Black community at the annual legislative conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington, D.C.
- Partnering with Unlock Potential to provide at-risk young adults who have faced injustice with mentoring, career development tools and entry-level job opportunities
- HostiHosting a “Delta Day” of connection and shared learning with City of Refuge to help job-seekers transition from crisis into sustaining careers
- Continuing to forge and expand partnerships with equity-focused organizations, including the Advancing Global Inclusive Leadership Education program, Boulevard, Clayton County Schools, Disney Dreamers and the John Lewis Case Competition
Core goal 4 Promote Understanding and Inclusion
Nurture a sense of belonging to create connections, foster allyship and invite curiosity and conversation
PROGRESS AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Sponsoring trips for 1.000+ Delta people, to date, to the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama for an immersive, historically grounded understanding of the need for collaborative solutions to end systemic racial injustice
- Educating employees across all levels through DEI in a Minute videos created with the Equal Justice Initiative and facilitating change-driven conversations on DEI topics through our Let’s Talk About It series
- Updating our Perspective Paper Library to promote cultural understanding and provide employees with research-driven guidance on engaging colleagues and customers in relevant, respectful ways
- Appointing DEI Ambassadors in our operating divisions to foster belonging and inclusion
Core goal 5 Step Up Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training
Empower our leaders and frontline employees with learning and development resources aligned with our DEI ambitions
PROGRESS AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Trained nearly 80% of Delta officers and senior leaders in a two-day Racial Equity Workshop focused on understanding systemic issues and finding ways to disrupt them
- Introduced new DEI learning and education opportunities that match employees with a wide selection of topics, format and modalities to further their learning journey, in partnership with two diverseowned small business vendors
- Leveraged customer data and real-time scenarios to inform employee education and create a more welcoming, inclusive operation
- Trained over 800 mid-level managers and highly skilled contributors on principles of social identity and how perspectives influence our assumptions, biases and actions
- Introduced an international DEI learning experience, tailoring the curriculum to Delta employees’ experiences, cultures and social dynamics outside of the U.S.
FACES OF TRAVEL 2,0
Faces of Travel is a platform that aims to address the lack of diversity in travel culture. We teamed up with Adobe and impact-focused creative company Kin to launch a library of inclusive photos and videos that champion authentic, stereotype-defying representations of diverse travelers. In 2023, we added 100 images to the collection, which is available for anyone to download free of charge.
Creating an Inclusive Customer Experience
Delta continues to create inclusive travel experiences for all customers, including those with disabilities. Accessible air travel is a collective effort throughout the industry, and close collaboration with the disability community is fundamental. We recently partnered with peer airlines to create a Passenger Accessibility Commitment to complement the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights. Delta also works closely with our longstanding Advisory Board on Disability, comprised of customers with – and who are experts on – a broad range of disabilities to advance travel accessibility. Advisory Board members lend their insights and experience as experts on different disabilities and provide recommendations to help Delta improve the travel experience for all customers. Recent examples of the Advisory Board’s involvement and input include working with Delta teams to make future aircraft seats and lavatories more accessible, providing expertise in the design of Delta’s multi-sensory room at LaGuardia Airport for passengers who need a break from the sights and sounds of a busy airport and improving digital accessibility. In 2023, we added closed captioning to over 1.000 hours of in-flight entertainment, including all Delta studio movies and series on seatback screens globally. This expanded experience was made possible through collaboration with our Advisory Board, entertainment industry partners and content curation team.
In 2023, Delta carried more than 189.000 wheelchairs, scooters and mobility devices across our domestic network. We remain committed to the improved experience for those traveling with assistive devices through dedicated teams with customized training focused on specific handling and transport of mobility devices.
In addition, Delta Flight Products, a wholly owned subsidiary of ours, debuted a prototype of a first-of-its kind airplane seat developed with Air4All that would allow customers who use powered wheelchairs to remain in them for their entire journey. The patented design won an Airline Passenger Experience 2024 Innovation Award and is currently in initial stages of testing.
Anbieter-Vielfalt
Delta is committed to building a world-class, inclusive supply chain that reflects the diversity of our global customer base. We proudly build relationships with small, minority-owned and women-owned businesses that deliver value to our stakeholders and the overall economy.
Our Supplier Code of Conduct holds our partners to our same high expectations of safety, customer service, ethical conduct and environmental protection standards, and our Supplier Diversity Playbook educates our sourcing professionals on compliance standards and best practices.
We work with six organizations to certify small and diverse-owned businesses at the national and state levels: National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, National Veteran Business Development Council, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Disability:IN and WEConnect International.
In 2023, we sponsored five supplier diversity conferences and supported events with various community partners including the National Black MBA Association, Atlanta Business League, National Urban League and Morehouse College Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center.
Additionally, our longstanding partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration ensures we give small businesses equitable opportunities to participate in our requests for proposals.
ZIEL
Double spending with Black-owned businesses by 2025 to $690M from a 2020 baseline of $345M
Double spending with Black-owned businesses by 2025 to $690M from a 2020 baseline of $345M
$559M
Spent with Black-owned businesses in 2023
PROGRESS AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Spent $2 billion with Tier I diverse suppliers in 2023
- Captured $79M in Tier II diverse spend (subcontractors who work with our Tier I suppliers)
- Worked with 1.344 diverse suppliers in 2023, focusing on the growth and scaling of our incumbent diverse suppliers