₦airaland Forum

In an industry that can be male-dominated, Delta women are flying high thanks to a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion that is breaking down gender barriers.
And the airline’s effort to attract and retain women into airline careers is being recognized across the industry. Last year, Delta again achieved 100 per cent pay parity for employees in frontline jobs and was awarded a "Best Workplace for Women" by Great Place To Work® and Fortune for the third year in a row - the only airline on the list.

Across the business, women have their voices heard. Delta's SHE Business Resource Group serves as a place for employees of all genders to engage in conversations about gender in the workplace. SHE also has an international branch for employees in Europe, Middle East, Africa, India region, launched in 2019. Meanwhile, Delta also empowers and prioritizes women-owned businesses throughout its supply chain with a robust 20-year supplier diversity program.

Removing barriers

Gender is no obstacle when it comes to any role at Delta - from loading bags and predicting the weather, to flying planes and carrying out vital maintenance. Delta women work in every division across the airline, thanks to a fair, equal and diverse playing ground for candidates in every position. Delta constantly strives to dismantle barriers to career entry and advancement, and currently has 19 female leaders in officer positions.

Aircraft maintenance technician, Britany Abney works on some of Delta’s newest aircraft, like the A350 and A330-900neos and believes being a woman is irrelevant when it comes to the job. “I have got the same capabilities as anyone, regardless of gender,” she says. “The most challenging part is learning all the different components; you need a good eye for detail and a commitment to doing your best every day.”

Delta is leading the industry when it comes to using cutting-edge technology to predict weather pattern and of its in-house team of 26 meteorologists, six are women. Delta’s Lead Meteorologist, Heather Heitzman, says a love of the job overshadows gender. Her advice to young women interested in the field? “Follow your passion and curiosity, no matter what. You’ll find yourself surrounded by people just as passionate as you are about what you do.”

For Ramp Agent, Karen Borali, the biggest misconception about the job is that it is not for women. “We have the same responsibilities as the guys, working in all weathers, handling thousands of bags, mail and freight every day and if a plane needs de-icing, we take our turn,” she says. “Man or woman, we look out for each other, working to a tight set of procedures so Delta customers and co-workers go home safe.”

Inspiring the future

Delta's pipeline strategy focuses on farming for the next generation – addressing underrepresentation by growing and inspiring talent, nurturing individuals and removing economic, racial and gender barriers.
The airline’s annual WING – Women Inspiring our Next Generation - Flight originated in 2015 as an effort to diversify the industry and expose girls to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers at a young age. WING flights are planned and orchestrated exclusively by women – including pilots, ramp agents, gate agents boarding and women in the tower guiding the aircraft on its way out. More than 600 students have participated in WING flights over five years.
First officer Aluel Bol says it’s vital to expose girls to careers in aviation at a young age. “Children see the world without limitations or boundaries,” she says. “Introducing young girls to the industry sparks interest before they’ve formed preconceptions of ‘male-only’ roles.”
Delta is on par with the aviation industry with approximately 5% of pilots who are women. In the past four years, 7.4% of Delta’s new hire pilots have been women.
“Becoming a pilot might seem daunting, but we’re working on that,” Bol says. “Women on the flight deck can be few and far between but the WING Flight is one way we are working to drive those numbers upward - the sky’s really not the limit.”

They should leave the Emir alone ojare!

Air France, KLM, Delta and Virgin Atlantic have launched their expanded joint venture offering a greater choice of routes and loyalty options when travelling between Europe, the U.K. and North America.

The new partnership provides customers with more convenient flight schedules and a shared goal of ensuring a smooth and consistent travel experience, whichever airline people fly. The partnership also provides the flexibility to book flights on any of the four carriers through their respective mobile apps, websites, or via travel agents. Customers will enjoy award-winning service, top-tier premium cabin products and complimentary food, drink and seat-back in-flight entertainment in all cabins on all trans-Atlantic flights.

Enhanced customer benefits starting from 13 February mean that loyalty programme members will be able to earn and use miles or enjoy elite benefits for flights on any of the four airlines’ worldwide operations, including a trans-Atlantic trip, intra-Europe hops, or domestic U.S. journey, offering more opportunities to quickly move through loyalty tiers and reach a higher status. Eligible Elite loyalty programme members can also enjoy priority boarding and relax in over 100 airport lounges when travelling internationally.

Other highlights include:
• Up to 341 peak daily trans-Atlantic services, covering the top 10 routes on a nonstop basis
• Onward connections to 238 cities in North America, 98 in continental Europe and 16 in the UK
• A choice of 110 nonstop trans-Atlantic routes

The enhanced network is also fully available to cargo customers and is built around the carriers’ hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York-JFK, Paris, Seattle and Salt Lake City. It creates convenient nonstop or one-stop connections to every corner of North America, Europe and the U.K.

Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said: “Customers are at the heart of this expanded joint venture with our partners Delta, Air France and KLM, where seamless connections, a greater range of flights, unrivalled customer service and increased frequent flyer benefits will reinforce its position as the choice passengers most love to fly. One of the pillars of our strategy is successfully collaborating with our partners. Combining our strengths, our network, and our people allows us to achieve more together.”

The customer benefits effective this month are just the start, with more initiatives being rolled out later this year such as the launch of more codeshare routes, aligning schedules to reduce connection times and smoothing the airport experience from check-in to baggage claim. Customers will also soon be able to check-in and select their seat through any of the partner airline mobile apps or websites.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian commented: “Our expanded partnership is a major step forward for all of our airlines as we deliver greater reliability, top travel benefits and leading service that our customers deserve. Today’s launch brings our historic, longstanding collaboration to a new level as we continue to build the partnership of choice across Europe and North America that sets us apart from the rest of the industry.”
“Ten years after starting our joint venture with Delta, this new agreement is a major milestone that will even further reinforce our presence on the Atlantic, by allowing our passengers the choice between four major airlines combining their network for the benefit of our customers,” said Air France-KLM Group CEO Benjamin Smith. “For Air France–KLM, it also means greater access to the U.K. market and especially London Heathrow, the leading global travel market.”


Other key facts and figures on the expanded joint venture:
• The JV represents approximately 23 per cent of total passenger and cargo trans-Atlantic capacity
• Combined annual revenues of the JV are estimated at US$13 billion
• Over 180,000 employees work across Air France, KLM, Delta and Virgin Atlantic