Tag: Delta Airlines

As Delta And Coke Officials Protest, Kemp Lies About New Election Law

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Following days of backlash, Republican officials are lying about what Georgia’s recently passed voter suppression law will actually do, in an apparent effort to make it seem less harsh and discriminatory.

The attempt to sugarcoat the law comes as major companies, responsible for billions of dollars of Georgia’s economy, are coming out against it.

Delta Air Lines, the No. 1 private employer of Georgians, came out with a statement on Wednesday calling the Georgia law “unacceptable” and built on a “lie” that there was voter fraud in the 2020 election. Continue reading.

Delta CEO calls new Georgia voting restrictions “unacceptable”

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Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian condemned Georgia’s new election law as “unacceptable” in a memo circulated to staff on Wednesday, claiming that the “entire rationale for this bill was based on a lie” about widespread voter fraud in 2020.

Why it matters: The Atlanta-based airline is one of the largest employers in Georgia and was facing calls for a boycott over its stance on the Republican-crafted law, per the Washington Post. 

  • Bastian sent out a memo last Friday in which he said he understood concerns about the law, but praised several elements and suggested it had “improved considerably during the legislative process.” Continue reading.

Delta faces boycott threats for stance on new Georgia voting law

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Social media users said they would no longer give the airline their business

Georgia’s new voting law, which puts barriers in place for absentee and mail-in voting and makes it illegal for third-party groups to hand out food and water to voters in line, has earned widespread criticism from Democrats and voting rights advocates. President Biden called it “Jim Crow in the 21st Century.”

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, on the other hand, put out a statementon Friday saying the bill — which was signed into law Thursday night — had “improved considerably during the legislative process” and noted some elements for praise.

That statement from CEO Ed Bastian has prompted a #BoycottDelta trend on social media. Continue reading.

Delta says it will keep middle seats blocked for the rest of the year

The dominant carrier at MSP is operating at a lower capacity in hopes of halting coronavirus. 

Delta Air Lines will continue blocking middle seats through the winter holidays, but flights will soon be more full.

Starting in October, the Atlanta-based airline will increase capacity limits in coach from 60 to 75% while extending its blocked middle-seat policy through Jan. 6.

Delta, the dominant carrier at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, said Thursday it will open up additional aisle and window seats and will allow families to book seats next to each other beginning Oct. 1. Continue reading.

Nominee to lead FAA faces questions about tenure at Delta

The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into whether Delta Air Lines violated FAA rules about promoting safety at a time when President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency was in charge of Delta’s flight operations.

The FAA investigation grew out of allegations by a Delta pilot that the airline retaliated against her for raising safety concerns. The Associated Press obtained a copy of an FAA letter sent to the pilot’s attorney detailing the investigation. The FAA declined to comment on the probe.

Trump’s nominee, Stephen Dickson, is under growing criticism from Senate Democrats over his initial failure to disclose his involvement in the case of the whistle-blowing pilot, who was grounded a few weeks after she raised safety issues to Dickson and other Delta executives.

View the complete July 6 article by David Koenig and Tom Krisher from the Associated Press on The Star Tribune website here.

Bakk to Delta Air Lines: You can always come home

Senate DFL Caucus Leader Tom Bakk is encouraging Delta Air Lines to move its corporate headquarters to Minnesota, following Georgia Republicans threatening a $50 million tax break on jet fuel that would benefit the airline headquartered in Georgia. Delta Air Lines merged with Minnesota-grown Northwest Airlines in 2008. His statement comes on the same day that Minnesota was named the #2 Best State in the Nation by U.S. News and World Report.

“Delta, you can always come home. Georgia Republicans are threatening a Delta-supported tax exemption on jet fuel. In 2013, Minnesota passed jet fuel tax reforms that would benefit Delta. There are considerable savings waiting for you here in the #2 Best State in the Nation,” Bakk said. “As the former home of Northwest Airlines, Minnesota would welcome your return.”

Minnesota Nice, in this case, extends to airlines with local roots.