People first, always: Delta releases 2025 “Delta Difference" Report

For 100 years, Delta has been guided by a longstanding value: putting people first. The 2025 Delta Difference report reflects what’s possible when we create opportunities for our employees, customers and communities to thrive. 

From record-level employee engagement to being the most awarded global airline and delivering industry-leading profit sharing, we continue to see the impact of investing in our people’s well-being and development, enhancing our infrastructure and driving innovation to support efficiency, growth and sustainability.

“When Delta people show up for our customers and each other — every flight and every day — we deliver truly meaningful value,” said CEO Ed Bastian. “Our commitment to people isn’t just good hospitality, it’s a competitive advantage. And as Delta enters its second century of flight, we’re focused on building the airline of the future for all of our stakeholders.”

2025 highlights:

• Making major investments in safety-related infrastructure and safety equipment upgrades, including a $25 million investment in new cooling equipment to mitigate heat-related risks during ground operations.
• Extending the company’s commitment to industry-leading total compensation by paying $1.3 billion in profit sharing — bringing total payouts since 2015 to $11 billion — increasing base pay by 4% and paying out $67 million through our Shared Rewards Program.
• Expanding internal and external career pathways and leadership development opportunities, in part, through our skills-first talent approach which prioritizes an employee’s skills and experience, not just their formal education.
• Ensuring employees have access to the healthcare resources they need to thrive — both on and off the job — through enhanced wellness benefits, such as a new 24/7/365 telemedicine app, family planning support, our employee assistance program, mental health resources and more.
• Exceeding our target of 1% fuel burn savings, or 45 million gallons of jet fuel, through operational improvements¹ — becoming the first U.S. airline to achieve these savings from operational improvements.
• Partnering with Maeve Aerospace and Jet Zero to explore innovative aircraft designs that can increase fuel efficiency by up to 40 and 50%, respectively.

Creating a more sustainable and inclusive business is a journey. As part of Delta’s ongoing commitment to transparency, the company began sharing Corporate Responsibility Reports in 2009. For the latest, visit: difference.delta.com.

^[1] Savings in comparison to fuel consumption in 2019, based on our projected fuel usage had we not undertaken these initiatives and excluding efficiency improvements from fleet renewal.