BW Talks
Delta CEO Ed Bastian on Where the Airline Is Headed
By investing in local partners, the company hopes to grow its global footprint.
Bastian became CEO of Delta Air Lines Inc. in 2016. A CPA, he held finance jobs at PricewaterhouseCoopers and PepsiCo Inc. before joining Delta in 1998. He briefly left in 2005 before being wooed back to help manage Delta’s bankruptcy. Bastian has bought minority stakes in Korean Air and Air France-KLM.
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Delta Air Lines led all U.S. carriers in net income last year, and CEO Bastian is intent on expanding its global reach. On Sept. 26, Delta agreed to pay $1.9 billion for 20% of Latam Airlines Group, Latin America’s largest.
International. We’re a great U.S. airline now. I want to be a great international airline. As the investments in our international partners take root … I think we have the opportunity to be that.