Delta marks 100th anniversary with special blue-and-silver paint scheme

Age may just be a number, but in the volatile and cutthroat airline world, it certainly is remarkable to hit triple digits.

Delta Air Lines became the first U.S. airline to reach that threshold earlier in March when it marked its first 100 years. The Atlanta-based carrier took off as Huff Daland Dusters in March 1925.

“Since then, we’ve grown into an industry-leading premium brand and global airline that continues to thrive,” said Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta, on LinkedIn. “It’s all possible because of the incredible 100,000 people who make Delta the very best.”

That new-plane smell: On board the first Delta Air Lines jet sporting its all-new cabin look

One way that Delta is marking its anniversary is with a special Centennial livery to honor “a century of innovation, resilience and the people who built Delta into the airline it is today.”

The airline unveiled the new look on an Airbus A321neo at a gala Saturday; it features a majestic swoosh in tones of blue and silver.

The carrier said it would also add the commemorative paint scheme to one of its Airbus A350 wide-body jets later this spring.

The livery was designed by Delta employee Aaliyah McNeal.

In the decades after Delta was founded, it was one of the country’s “trunk carriers,” or airlines that flew major domestic routes, until the industry was deregulated in 1978. It became an international carrier in the decades that followed through organic growth and mergers; Delta merged with Western Airlines in 1987 and acquired Pan Am’s European assets in 1991. Delta became the global airline it is today following its merger with Northwest Airlines in 2009.

Today, Delta is the de facto premium U.S. airline — though United Airlines is doing its best to catch up — and a leader on many customer-focused initiatives. For example, in 2023, Delta was the first major airline to offer free inflight Wi-Fi.

Delta will not be the only U.S. airline to reach triple digits for long. Both American Airlines and United can trace their roots to 1926.

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