Delta to Implement New Anti-Human Trafficking Program in Partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Transportation

Delta among the first airlines to adopt Blue Lightning Initiative

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Jun 06, 2013, 10:00 ET

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will continue its commitment to leading anti-human trafficking efforts among major airlines when it implements a new training program for employees this summer as part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Blue Lightning Initiative.

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"Guided by our values, Delta is proud to be among the first airlines to adopt this new training program to help raise awareness and combat the problem of human trafficking," said Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive officer. "Delta strongly condemns all forms of human rights abuses, including human trafficking. Our core values along with the responsibility that comes with our global reach have led us to be at the forefront among airlines in this fight against human trafficking."

The Blue Lightning Initiative is a computer-based training program that provides airlines with added tools to help identify and report suspected instances of human trafficking. The program, combined with Delta's current safety and security training initiatives, will help prevent air transportation from being used as a vehicle to commit human trafficking and other forms of human rights abuses. All customer-facing Delta employees will complete the training program by the end of 2013.

Delta in 2011 became the first major airline to sign a Code of Conduct outlined by End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children. The airline is also a founding member of the Global Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking and a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking program.

About Delta

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Delta was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2013 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list, topping the list for the second time in three years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 328 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and 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 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta is investing more than $3 billion in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta and Facebook.com/delta.