Delta ‘flight plan’: Increase diversity By Kelly Yamanouchi The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Saturday, February 28, 2009 At a Women in Aviation International conference in Atlanta this week, Delta Air Lines’ chief executive said one of the company’s primary goals is to increase diversity among its ranks. In Delta’s internal document on its annual goals, called the “flight plan,” one of its objectives is to increase the diversity of leadership, Anderson said. “It’s no longer unique and shouldn’t be unique to have women in every role at an airline,” said Delta Chief Executive Richard Anderson, who spoke at the conference luncheon Friday. Atlanta-based Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines recently flew the airline industry’s first commercial jet flight operated by an all-female African-American crew, Anderson noted. Captain Rachelle Jones, first officer Stephanie Grant and flight attendants Diana Galloway and Robin Rogers made up the crew. Delta has partnered with Women in Aviation for more than a decade, sponsoring scholarships and other activities. The organization holds its annual conference at different locations around the country and selected Atlanta for this year’s event. Delta’s senior vice president of flight operations, Steve Dickson, said Delta has roughly 150 female pilots out of its 7,000, and has gained more through its merger with Northwest Airlines. Anne Schroeder, who received a Delta scholarship while she was in college in 2002, was hired by ASA after she graduated and as a Delta pilot in 2007. “Even in the past five years that I’ve been in the industry, you notice just from walking around the airport that the numbers [of female pilots] are getting bigger,” Schroeder said.

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