Delta’s leadership in social responsibility, innovation, culture and more has once again resulted in the global airline today being named one of Fortune magazine’s Top 50 Most Admired Companies for the seventh consecutive year.  

Fortune also named Delta No. 1 on its Most Admired Airline list, “a direct result of [Delta people’s] dedication and passion for serving customers and each other,” shared Delta CEO Ed Bastian in a companywide memo. This is the ninth time over the last decade the airline has secured the top spot.  

The Most Admired Companies list – compiled from the surveys of thousands of executives, experts and analysts – is a ranking across industries of the world’s most respected and reputable brands, while the airline list is based on the results from industry-specific leaders.  

Today’s recognition is but the latest accolade for the airline. Delta was recently named the Wall Street Journal's top U.S. airline for the third consecutive year; one of Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies; a Fortune magazine 100 Best Companies to Work For, in addition to a 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials; and a Fast Company “Most Innovative Company,” among others.  

During CES 2020, Delta spotlighted Sarcos Robotics’ first-ever battery-powered, full-body exoskeleton, the Guardian XO, which received Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2020: Emerging Tech award and “Best Robot” by PCMag.com, in addition to recognition from WIRED Magazine for being one of the smartest technologies at CES. The airline’s showcase of Misapplied Sciences’ PARALLEL REALITY™ experience also garnered top marks, including Newsweek’s Best of CES, Techlicious’ 2020 CES Top Pick, Best in Show from Tom’s Guide and Mashable’s Top Pick.  

Despite Delta’s long runway of successes, Bastian concluded his memo to employees by emphasizing the importance of demonstrating humility to guard against complacency.  

“The successes we have achieved in the past, and whatever we may enjoy in the future, depend upon our passion to continue improving,” he said. “We know better than anyone that we cannot rest on our laurels – even when we think we’ve reached the top our values call on us to keep climbing because there’s always going to be a new challenge to conquer.”    

What makes Delta a most admired company? 

Companies are ranked by leaders across industries on the following attributes, as well as their overall reputation.

• Innovation 
• People Management 
• Use of Corporate Assets 
• Quality of Management 
• Social Responsibility 
• Financial Soundness 
• Long-Term Investment Value 
• Quality of Products and Services 
• Global Competitiveness