Delta Named to Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Airline joins prestigious index that recognizes positive environmental and social impact worldwide

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Sep 08, 2011, 04:00 ET

ATLANTA, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced it has been added to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America and is among four global airlines listed as "Sustainability Leaders" in the annual survey. The recognition underscores Delta's ongoing commitment to corporate responsibility across its global network.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO )

Delta is among 143 companies named to the North American index today by the Dow Jones Indexes and global sustainable investing firm SAM, which together annually review 2,500 companies to create the sustainability indexes. Companies named today meet high standards for economic, corporate and social responsibility efforts.

"Being named to the North American index underscores Delta's commitment to sustainable practices," said Ken Hylander, senior vice president – Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance. "Our people make the difference in taking steps to reduce our environmental impact while increasing the volunteer and charitable work we do in the cities where we fly and our employees live."

The index is a key resource for investors seeking opportunities to support socially responsible companies and industries.

Delta joins SkyTeam alliance partners Air France-KLM, which have been included in the DJSI since 2004 and have been frequently recognized for global sustainability practices. Delta and Air France-KLM are also listed as Sustainability Leaders in the airline sector along with All Nippon Airways and Qantas Airways.

The annual review of the index analyzes corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, branding, climate change mitigation, supply chain standards and labor practices. It follows a best-in-class approach and includes input from sustainability leaders from each industry on a global and regional level respectively.

Some of Delta's achievements in these areas include:

Producing some of the strongest earnings in the company's history in 2010 through strong revenue generation and aggressive cost containment,
Reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent from 2005 to 2010, and
Contributing millions of dollars through corporate donations and employee contributions to a host of civic causes, including the American Red Cross, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

For more information on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and the changes resulting from this year's review please visit http://www.sustainability-indexes.com.

To read Delta's most recent Corporate Responsibility Report, please visit http://www.delta.com/responsibility.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 339 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, a world-class airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.