memo

Delta Air Lines issued the following memo from CEO Richard Anderson to its more than 80,000 employees:

FORTUNE magazine has ranked Delta the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World’s Most Admired Companies airline industry list, published today. This is a remarkable achievement and yet another testament to the hard work of Delta people. Congratulations!

Delta has moved up in the airline rankings in the FORTUNE list from 10th in 2007, to sixth in 2008 and 2009, and third place in 2010. The airlines ranked second through 12th in the FORTUNE industry list, in order, are: Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM Group, Cathay Pacific Airways, United Continental, Qantas Airways, British Airways, All Nippon Airways, US Airways Group and AMR.

The annual FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies airlines list is based on results of a global survey of airline executives, directors and analysts who rate companies in their own industry on nine criteria: people management, quality of management, innovation, long-term investment, use of corporate assets, financial soundness, social responsibility, quality of product and services and global competitiveness. In addition to ranking top overall in the airline industry list, Delta ranked No. 1 among airlines in long-term investment, quality of management, global competitiveness and social responsibility.

This award is proof of the great strides we have made in building a strong global business for our customers, employees, shareholders and the communities we serve. We’ve completed virtually all our merger integration, launched significant investments in our customer experience and the technology that supports the way we do business, strengthened our industry-leading joint venture and alliance relationships, and expanded our international reach. These are just a few of the things that have caused others to recognize what the more than 80,000 employees of Delta have achieved.

The recognition is not only a testament to what we have accomplished, but also our path in getting to this point. Through all of this change, we’ve preserved a unique culture anchored in dignity and respect. Delta stayed true to its word, with no frontline involuntary furloughs as a result of the merger. We created new jobs in TechOps, Cargo, Airport Customer Service, Reservations, Flight Operations and In-flight Service to support our larger international network. In addition to frontline pay increases, Delta also has invested more than $2.5 billion in Delta people in the form of company equity, profit sharing, and operational performance bonuses over the last four years, all while maintaining low unit costs and reducing debt.

Our progress and steadfast commitment to the Delta culture have been remarkable. Business leaders around the world have noticed all the hard work you have been doing. Your commitment to make Delta a better airline for our customers and investors, while building on our heritage as a great place to work is a point of pride for all of us.

Thank you for all you do for Delta every day.