Celebration Includes Christening Of Delta Boeing 777 As The
"Spirit of Atlanta"
When Lynda Lloyd boarded her first Delta Air Lines flight in
Atlanta as a flight attendant in 1964, the airline had recently
become the first commercial carrier to fly across the country in
less than three hours and had just launched the industry's most
sophisticated electronic reservations system, all under the
watchful eye of company founder and then-chief executive C.E.
Woolman.
Lloyd, Delta's most senior employee who lives and works in
Atlanta, was joined by hundreds of her fellow Atlanta-based
employees as well as elected, community and business leaders from
across Georgia on Friday to mark the airline's 70th anniversary as
Atlanta's hometown airline.
A Delta Boeing 777-200LR aircraft used to connect Atlanta
nonstop to cities such as Tokyo, Dubai, Johannesburg and Tel Aviv,
was christened as the "Spirit of Atlanta" during the celebration at
Delta's massive Technical Operations Center, adjacent to
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and in the shadow
of the $1.4 billion Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal
currently under construction.
Delta was a small carrier focused on the Southeast when it moved
its headquarters from Monroe, La., to Atlanta in 1941. In the
decades that followed, Delta built the world's largest connecting
hub in Atlanta, and for more than two decades has remained
Georgia's largest private employer and a major economic force in
the region.
With 25,000 employees based in Atlanta, Delta is estimated to
pump more than $25 billion into the local economy, and is a major
contributor to key community organizations, including the Grady
Health Foundation, the Woodruff Arts Center, AID Atlanta, Hands On
Atlanta, Habitat for Humanity, CARE, the Carter Center and the
National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
"Delta Air Lines and Atlanta have a unique partnership that has
been inextricably linked to the success and prosperity of our city
and our airport for nearly three quarters of a century," said
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "The strong relationships among companies
such as Delta, state and local elected officials and civic
organizations are what make Atlanta not only a global, dynamic
city, but a great place to live and do business. Congratulations to
Delta Air Lines, Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson and all
employees on the company's 70th anniversary as Atlanta's hometown
airline."
Delta B777 File Photo
"Delta is truly an economic force for Georgia," said Georgia
Gov. Nathan Deal. "It is our biggest employer and its presence here
plays a key role in helping us attract new investment and jobs. I
look forward to partnering with Delta as it sets out on the next 70
years."
"The success of Delta and the city of Atlanta have been
intertwined for seven decades, and it's hard to argue with the
results," said Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive. "Atlanta
has grown into a major international city while Delta built the
world's largest hub at the city's airport. Central to this success
has been the historic partnership between Delta, the city of
Atlanta, the state of Georgia and our thousands of Atlanta-based
employees and customers."
Recognizing one of Atlanta's longest and most successful
business partnerships, the "Spirit of Atlanta" was christened at
the celebration with a bottle of Coke.
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
"It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Delta on its 70th
anniversary as Atlanta's hometown airline," said U.S. Sen. Saxby
Chambliss, R-Ga. "Delta Air Lines has come a long way since its
beginnings in Monroe, La., to the international commercial airline
it is today. For seven decades, Delta has thrived, employing
thousands of Georgians and becoming an integral part of our
communities. Delta has established itself as an economic engine not
only for Georgia, but for the entire Southeast. I am grateful that
such a company calls Atlanta its home."
"As Georgians, we are all proud to be recognizing Delta's 70th
anniversary as our hometown airline," said U.S. Sen. Johnny
Isakson, R-Ga. "Over the past seven decades, Delta has become an
integral part of the community, bringing jobs, businesses and great
opportunities to the state of Georgia by connecting us to cities
across the country and the world."