Last year, Delta Air Lines celebrated its 70th anniversary as Atlanta’s hometown airline. Originally founded in Monroe, Louisiana, as a crop-dusting operation, the company partnered with Atlanta’s leaders in 1941 to bring Delta to South Fulton County both as a corporate headquarters and the region’s primary air carrier.
As Delta has grown, so has Atlanta, anchored by the world’s busiest airport and largest airline hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Today, Delta connects Atlanta’s business community to the world with more than 1,000 daily nonstop flights to more than 200 destinations, including nearly 70 international cities on five continents.
Delta recently partnered with Hartsfield-Jackson and the City of Atlanta to construct a new $1.4 billion international terminal. The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal opened its doors for the first time on May 15, 2012, providing a world-class facility for international travelers visiting Atlanta, further enhancing Atlanta’s status as a major center of international commerce and travel.
Delta’s international hub serves as a significant economic engine for South Fulton as well as the greater Atlanta region. Studies have shown the airport has a direct economic impact of more than $32.5 billion annually in the metro Atlanta area economy.
Delta has more than 25,000 employees residing in Atlanta, and the company is deeply involved in the community. Its community partners include the Grady Health Foundation, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Habitat for Humanity and the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta.