History

Delta Brand

Delta Aircraft Livery

U.S. Bicentennial

Delta's familiar red, white and blue “widget” logo wears the stars and stripes in 1976. This special design for the U.S. Bicentennial gave a patriot look to Delta's fleet. Learn more in our Blog post.

1981 Sugar Bowl

University of Georgia Coach Vince Dooley and Running Back Herschel Walker point to "Delta Salutes the Georgia Bulldogs" artwork on a Delta jet (Douglas DC-8, Ship 869) as the Bulldogs football team leaves for the 1981 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The Spirit of Delta

In appreciation for Delta's support during a difficult economic time, employees raise $30 million in 1982, to purchase Boeing 767 The Spirit of Delta, the airline's first Boeing 767. Spirit is repainted back to original livery in 2006, before coming home to the Delta Flight Museum.

1996 Olympic Games

MD-11 Centennial Spirit, which carries the Olympic Flame from Athens, Greece, to the U.S., and Boeing 767 The Spirit of Delta celebrate the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

2002 Olympic Games

Delta and Delta Connection carriers SkyWest and ASA celebrate the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Boeing 777 Ship 7005 (N864DA) The Soaring Spirit II transports the Olympic Flame from its home in Greece to the U.S. Its paint design features images of Olympic Gold Medalist Bonnie Blair and Olympic athletes Duncan Kennedy and Ryan Heckman.

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Delta's 75th Anniversary

Celebrating 75 years of passenger service in 2004, Delta paints Boeing 767 The Spirit of Delta in a special paint scheme inspired by the 1940 livery of Douglas DC-3 Ship 41.

The challenge was to replicate in gray paint the look of the DC-3’s unpainted, polished aluminum. Tommy Vinci, Delta aircraft refinishing foreman, recalled the process in 2007:

“The ‘polished look’ was accomplished by using a four step painting process. First a primer coat was applied, then a gray top coat. After this was dry they applied the ‘sparkle coat’ which was made of silica particles. The trick there was to insure they achieved a consistent and even coat so that once we applied the last coat of paint, which was clear, it all reflected the same. I remember that all we heard from the mechanics and everyone else that came by to see it before it went in to service was how good it looked.”

Boeing 757 Pink Plane

Delta first paints pink Boeing 757 Ship 610 (N610DL) to raise awareness of the fight against breast cancer with partner, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2006. The livery in multiple shades of pink and white features BCRF's trademark pink ribbon logo, adjacent to the boarding door, as a visible reminder to passengers that they were flying on Delta’s Pink Plane. Delta subsidiary Song Airlines originally introduced the Pink Plane in 2005. The Pink Plane paint scheme transfers to a Boeing 767-400ER in 2010.

Habitat for Humanity
Boeing 767-300ER Ship 1701 (N171DZ), from December 2006-November 2014, raises awareness of Habitat for Humanity International's global work and to highlight the efforts of employees participating in Delta's Force For Global Good community support. Updated livery shown here.

Hank Aaron 755

Boeing 757 Ship 627 (N627DL) honors Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron in June 2007. Artwork celebrates Aaron’s historic 715th home run to surpass Babe Ruth as baseball’s all-time home run king. Name "Hank Aaron 755" recalls Aaron's 755 career-capping home runs. Ship 627 retires in 2017.

GRAMMY Plane
Boeing 757 Ship 6715 (N6715C) carries GRAMMY Awards' iconic gramophone symbol on February 7, 2008, when Delta joins with The Recording Academy to host a live, in-flight concert by John Legend at 30,000 feet. The special flight was for music fans flying from New York-JFK to Los Angeles for the 50th annual GRAMMY Awards. Ship 6715 returns to regular Delta livery in 2010.

The Delta Spirit

Delta christens its first long-range Boeing 777, Ship 7101 (N701DN) on March 6, 2008, in recognition of Delta employees worldwide, a name inspired by famous Boeing 767 The Spirit of Delta. After Ship 7101 retires in 2020, Airbus A350 (Ship 3502) is the new Delta Spirit in 2021.

SkyTeam

Delta is the first SkyTeam member to showcase an airplane in the new SkyTeam Unified Livery in March 2009. Learn more about the paint scheme and see the SkyTeam-branded aircraft fleet list. See SkyTeam's Livery Fact Sheet.

David C. Garrett, Jr.

Delta dedicates long-range Boeing 777 Ship 7108 (N708DN) to former CEO David C. Garrett, on June 10, 2009. Garrett served as Delta CEO from 1978 to 1987.

American Cancer Society Relay for Life

Boeing 767-400ER, Ship 1817 (N841MH) first supports American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, a mainly volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event for cancer research and awareness, in April 2010. In 2013, the plane features ACS's 100th Anniversary logo and slogan "The Official Sponsor of Birthdays" near the nose of the plane, adjacent to the boarding door.

Boeing 767-400ER Pink Plane

Ship 1821 (N845MH) first wore pink in 2010 to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research (earlier Pink Planes: Delta 757 in 2006 and Song Airlines 757 in 2005.) Breast Cancer Research Foundation's pink ribbon logo is on the tail and boarding door area. In 2012, Delta adds Evelyn Lauder's signature in memory of her dedication to a cure.

Salvador Dali

Artist Salvador Dalí's mustache decorates Delta Boeing 757 Ship 661 (N661DN) in celebration of an exhibit “Dalí: The Late Work,” at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in 2010.

Bobby Cox
Delta hosts a surprise send-off party for Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox, before his last regular-season road trip on September 16, 2010. The Boeing 737 charter plane features a temporary Number 6 in tribute to Bobby Cox and his 25 years with the Braves.

FORTUNE magazine ranks Delta the world's Most Admired Airline in its 2011 Most Admired Airline List. Decals by aircraft boarding doors celebrate this achievement and the hard work of Delta people. The decals reappear when Delta again wins top ranking — 10 years in a row in 2023.

The Spirit of Atlanta

Celebrating 70 years as Atlanta's hometown airline Delta christens Boeing 777-200LR, N702DN, "The Spirit of Atlanta" with a virtual bottle of Coca-Cola in 2011. Delta's close ties with the city date back to 1941, when the airline moves its headquarters to Atlanta. Read the news release.

United Way

Boeing 767-300, Ship 139 (N139DL) first wore a United Way logo in 2011 in support of the "Live United" campaign to improve education, health and income. This aircraft retires on October 31, 2016.

Joseph E. Lowery

Delta dedicates Boeing 757 Ship 6716 (N6716C) in September 2011, to Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, "Dean of the Civil Rights Movement."

Andrew Young

Boeing 767-300ER, Ship 1606 (N16065) is dedicated on May 17, 2012, to Andrew Young, civil rights legend and former Ambassador to the United Nations, to honor his lifetime achievements and kick off his 80th birthday celebration. Young is shown here with Delta CEO Richard Anderson.

Chipper Jones

Delta dedicates Atlanta Braves player Chipper Jones' last charter flight in October 2012, with a temporary commemorative Number 10 decal on a Boeing 757 at the send-off event.

Spirit of Freedom
Boeing 757 Ship 694 (N694DL) celebrates servicemen and women and the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, presented to Delta in 2012 for support of employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve. This is the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers, and Delta was the first airline in a decade to receive this award.

Mariano Rivera

Delta decorates Boeing 757 Ship 6806 (N709TW) as a retirement gift for New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera in July 2013, with a decal of Rivera's signature, "42" and the New York Yankees logo below the captain's window.

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The Spirit of Seattle
Delta dedicates a new Boeing 737-900ER, Ship 3809 (N809DN), as "The Spirit of Seattle," on December 5, 2013, thanking customers, employees and partners for 80 years of service in the city.

Delta began service in Seattle from Boeing Field on Dec. 3, 1933, through Northwest Airways, which eventually became Northwest Airlines.

C.E. Woolman
Delta recognizes the legacy of founder and CEO Collett Everman Woolman, dedicating a new Boeing 737-900ER aircraft (N827DN, Ship 3827) in his honor. The ceremony on September 30, 2014, celebrates what would have been Woolman's 125th birthday on October 8.

Delta Boeing 767-400ER Pink Plane in 2015 Repaint

Boeing 767-400ER Pink Plane Repaint
Ship 1821 (N845MH), which first wore pink in 2010 to raise funds and awareness for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, is refreshed in 2015 with a unique paint design of pink ribbon wrapped around the fuselage. Earlier Pink Planes were a Delta 757 from 2006-2010 and a Song Airlines 757 in 2005. This aircraft flies international routes and raises awareness for the BCRF around the world.

Thank You Plane
Following a $1.6 billion profit sharing payout – a record for a U.S.-based company – Delta unveils a "thank you" plane featuring all 90,000 employee names. Airbus A321-200, Ship 3091 (N391DN) is "dedicated to the world's best employees and customers" on February 14, 2020. Delta people design, produce and install in-house the "thank you" message, consisting of 48 custom decal panels. See news release and photos on Delta News Hub.

The Delta Spirit
Delta people are recognized when Airbus A350, Ship 3502 (N502DN) — a new Delta Spirit — is dedicated to all Delta employees worldwide for their continued resilience and indomitable spirit during the coronavirus pandemic on February 12, 2021. The first Delta Spirit, Boeing 777 Ship 7101, was dedicated in 2008 and retired in 2020.

2021 World Series Homecoming
Delta welcomes the victorious Atlanta Braves home on November 3, 2021. The baseball team's charter flight aircraft, Airbus A330, N815NW, Ship 3315, is decorated with a special "Victory for the A" decal.

Atlanta Braves 2021 World Series aircraft decal

Team USA Plane
Airbus A330-900, N411DX, Ship 3411, celebrates Delta's support of Team USA in a special livery unveiled on December 17, 2021. The custom-designed livery "embodies the spirit of resiliency and perseverance and an inspiration of upward momentum."

Boeing 737 2021 Braves World Champions aircraft decal

2021 World Champions
Delta congratulates The Atlanta Braves’ 2021 World Series win on July 28, 2022, with a commemorative World Champions logo on Boeing 737-800, N3746H, Ship 3746. The plane, which was painted by employees at Delta TechOps, features a dual-sided World Champions emblem and signature Braves “A” toward the nose of the aircraft.

Vince Dooley Plane
Delta commemorates the life and legacy of renowned University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley on January 3, 2023, with the Dooley family at the dedication of Boeing 767-400, N842MH, Ship 1818. The memorial seal features his signature and the Bulldogs mascot emblem.

Vince Dooley family at Delta plane dedication