Comprehensive interview intel — history, fleet, compensation, hiring, culture, and strategy. Know the company inside and out before you walk in.
Delta is a legacy U.S. network carrier headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It traces its roots to a crop dusting operation in 1925 (the world's first), is a co-founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, operates approximately 4,000+ daily flights to 315 destinations in 64 countries across six continents, and employs approximately 17,319 active pilots — with roughly 6,000 hired since the post-COVID recovery. Ed Bastian has been CEO since May 2, 2016.
For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame Delta is this: it is the most profitable U.S. airline, with industry-leading employee culture, the strongest profit-sharing program in aviation, and a premium brand strategy built around what Ed Bastian calls "the virtuous circle" — take care of people first, they take care of customers, customers take care of the brand. Delta explicitly positions itself as a premium global airline, not just a carrier that moves passengers.
Delta has eight major hubs — anchored by Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest airport — and the second-largest commercial fleet globally with 986 mainline aircraft. It co-founded SkyTeam, which connects it to 1,150+ destinations in 175 countries through partners like Air France-KLM, Korean Air, Aeroméxico, and Virgin Atlantic (49% owned by Delta). It maintains joint ventures with Air France-KLM/Virgin Atlantic (transatlantic), Korean Air (transpacific), and LATAM Airlines (South America), meaning key international routes are operated as revenue-sharing partnerships.
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.