A first-edition Delta Gift Card made from a retired DC-9-51 was recently donated to the Delta Flight Museum by the Global Distribution team in honor of the aircraft’s 40^th anniversary. The airline announced the availability of 2,500 limited-edition gift cards for sale last fall.

“We are thrilled to provide the Delta Flight Museum with card number 0001 in celebration of the rich history of the DC-9 fleet’s long-standing service,” said Todd Richards, General Manager – Global Payment Acceptance. “Many thanks to the Delta cross-divisional team that made this project a reality. By purchasing the card, our customers have an opportunity to own a piece of Delta and aviation history.”

Last year, a team of Delta employees traveled to Marana, Ariz. to select parts of the retired aircraft (Registration N401EA; Ship 9885) that would be used for the gift cards. Components of the aircraft, including the tail and fuselage, were cut into sections and then shipped to a custom manufacturing facility in El Segundo, Calif., where the metal was cut again into standard gift card dimensions, etched and finished. Each of the 2,500 individual gift cards vary in color based on which section of the aircraft the metal was taken from.

Following its manufacture date of August 25, 1975, Ship 9885 flew under four different airline brands – Allegheny Airlines, Eastern, Northwest and Delta – during its lifespan.

“The DC-9 brought modern jet service to many smaller and intermediate-sized cities in the Delta network beginning in 1965,” said John Boatright, President – Delta Flight Museum. “Delta was the first and the last U.S. airline to fly scheduled DC-9 commercial flights. The DC-9 Delta Gift Card is a meaningful addition to our collection, including Ship 9880, a DC-9-50 also built in 1975 that welcomes our visitors to the museum, as well as the DC-9 tail on display in Hangar 2.”

The limited-edition DC-9 Delta Gift Cards are currently available for purchase for $250 on the Delta Gift Cards’ eBay page. Each card contains a unique limited-edition number ranging from 0002 to 2,500 with $50 pre-loaded onto the card. Delta Gift Cards have no expiration dates or fees.