Delta Airlines: Company Profile & Background Check FAQs

Delta Air Lines traces its origins to Huff Daland Dusters, an aerial crop-dusting company incorporated in Macon, Georgia, in 1925 to combat the boll weevil devastating Southern cotton crops. In 1928, C.E. Woolman led a group of investors to purchase the operation and renamed it Delta Air Service after the Mississippi Delta region it served. Passenger service launched on June 17, 1929, with flights between Dallas, Texas, and Jackson, Mississippi. Over the following century, the airline expanded through organic growth and mergers, including its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines, to become one of the world's largest carriers by revenue, passengers, and fleet size. Today, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, operates a mainline fleet of approximately 987 aircraft, and serves more than 300 destinations across six continents with over 5,400 daily flights. The airline's hub-and-spoke network centers on Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic), along with major hubs in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Seattle, New York (JFK and LaGuardia), Boston, and Los Angeles. Delta is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, extending its global reach to over 1,000 destinations through partner airlines including Air France-KLM, Korean Air, and Aeromexico. Beyond passenger service, the company operates Delta Cargo, Delta TechOps (one of the world's largest airline maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers), and Delta Vacations.

Company culture and employee programs:

Delta's workforce of over 100,000 employees spans pilots, flight attendants, ground crew, maintenance technicians, and corporate staff. The company operates a profit-sharing program that distributed $1.3 billion to eligible employees for 2025, representing 8.9% of eligible annual earnings. Since 2007, Delta has held an annual Profit Sharing Day to recognize employee contributions. The company has also raised employee base pay for four consecutive years. Delta was one of the few major U.S. airlines to avoid involuntary furloughs for most of its workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, using voluntary early retirement packages, unpaid leaves, and negotiated pay reductions instead. In recent workplace rankings, the company placed No. 2 on the Forbes World's Best Employers 2025 list, No. 15 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, and was named to Glassdoor's 2026 Best Places to Work for the ninth time, the only airline on the list. Delta also ranked No. 3 on the 2025 PEOPLE Companies That Care list. The airline reported full-year 2025 revenue of approximately $63.4 billion.

Most employment background checks can be completed in three to five business days, but timing varies with the screenings ordered and record accessibility. For positions requiring additional security clearances or TSA-mandated Criminal History Records Checks (CHRC) for airport badge access, the process may take longer. Database searches can close in minutes, whereas searches that require manual courthouse retrieval or follow-up paperwork may extend beyond a week. See Checkr's guide to background check turnaround times for details.

A background check report may include:

Look-back periods vary by state law, position, and the CRA's data sources. Many employers focus on the past seven years for most convictions, but aviation industry positions may require more extensive reviews due to federal security requirements. Safety-sensitive roles governed by DOT regulations can require deeper review periods. Candidates should review state fair-chance or "ban-the-box" laws to understand local limits.

DOT and FAA regulations require pre-employment and random drug and alcohol testing for safety-sensitive positions in the aviation industry. These positions can include pilots, flight attendants, aircraft maintenance technicians, and ramp agents. Testing typically screens for substances including marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP. Non-safety-sensitive positions may have different testing requirements depending on company policy.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires employers to obtain written consent before ordering a background report, provide a copy of the report plus a "pre-adverse action" notice if they may take negative action, and allow time to dispute errors. EEOC guidance also recommends an individualized assessment that considers the nature of the offense, its age, and relevance to the job.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Delta Airlines may see and help you identify potential inaccuracies. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To showcase verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can share with recruiters, hiring managers, or potential employers.

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. Or, visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and to contact support.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.