Delta Brand
Delta Aircraft Livery
The Beginning: Unique Livery for Each Aircraft Model
Travel Air S-6000-B
black and orange paint scheme
Stinson Model T
navy with fire engine red cheat line
Stinson Model A
blue and orange paint scheme
Polished Metal Emerges: 1935-1940
Lockheed 10 Electra
Delta logo on metal
Douglas DC-2
Blue lines, Delta logo on metal
Red, White and Blue: 1940-late 1940s
White Cap Livery: late 1940s-1960s
White paint on top of fuselage reflected sun; kept planes cooler.
Delta-C&S markings, 1953-55
DC-7 Golden Crown markings, 1950s
Early Jets: Unique Livery for Each Model
Douglas DC-8-11
modernized "white cap" scheme
Convair 880
all-white fuselage, crown on tail
Douglas DC-9-14
sideways widget scheme
Classic Delta Widget Livery: 1962-1997
Paint scheme highlighting Delta's new "widget" logo. Introduced with Douglas DC-8-51 in 1962. Became standard look for entire Delta fleet in September 1968, with the words "Air Lines" eliminated to increase the streamlined look.
1997 "Interim" Livery
Paint scheme of a red/blue tail, a cheatline and "Delta Air Lines" on fuselage.
2000 Colors in Motion Livery
Red, dark and light blue flowing colors on the tail and Delta logo on the front fuselage. Nicknamed "Flowing Fabric" and "Wavy Gravy."
Return to traditional widget, 2004
2007 "Onward and Upward" Livery
Delta's 3-dimensional red widget logo was introduced with a new livery nicknamed "Onward and Upward." For more information, see the Delta Brand Fact Sheet 2007
In May 2015, Delta added its name in white to the blue belly of its planes. More details here.