Delta's Centennial

Fueling Our Future

Our airline reached 100 years thanks to many things — the demand for safe, comfortable and reliable flights around the world and our trademark warmth of service, among others. But most of all what propels us forward is our people. Learn how each Delta generation inspires the next.

New Century, New Delta Flight Museum

Reopened on April 7, 2025, our newly renovated Delta Flight Museum features a refreshed design as well as interactive exhibits which capture our unique culture and legacy of innovation from across the past 100 years — and into the next 100.

Safey and Hospitality in the Skies: Flight Attendants Help Delta Soar Through the Decades

Read about Delta flight attendants who made history and see how uniform fashions evolved through the decades.

Birdie Perkins: The first to wear the wings of Delta

Birdie Perkins was Delta's very first flight attendant, known then as a stewardess, taking flight on March 16, 1940. She and nine other nurses joined Delta that year, supporting the Charleston to Fort Worth route on Delta's fleet of four Douglas DC-2s. They served box lunches of Southern fried chicken or ham and yams and bottles of Coca-Cola.

Murphy and Harmond were the first black flight attendants.

Patricia Murphy & Eugene Harmond: Delta's first Black flight attendants

Patricia Murphy became Delta’s first Black flight attendant in 1966, and Eugene Harmond became the airline’s first Black male flight attendant in 1973 — two trailblazers who forged a path for generations to come.

Diana Carvelli, Virginia "Ginny" Oxford & Jean Owens: The Spirit of Delta

In the spring of 1982, when many airlines were facing economic trouble, flight attendants Diane Carvelli, Virginia “Ginny” Oxford and Jean Owens spearheaded “Project 767” to raise $30 million to pay for Delta’s first Boeing 767, through the combined donations of employees, retirees and friends. The money was raised in just three months. The Spirit of Delta sits proudly today in the Delta Flight Museum.

Alice Ramsey: One little pink dress, one huge statement

After her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2005, flight attendant Alice Ramsey had her seamstress make a replica of the uniform dress in pink. She was approved to wear it in October 2007 to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and raised $3,000 in just one month. After getting CEO Richard Anderson’s support to make it part of the uniform, the pink dress was here to stay. It has been gracing the skies for 17 years.

Flight attendant fashions have evolved through employee feedback and safety considerations, as well as with trends of the times.

Employee Innovations Position Delta for Growth

Delta people never settle. As our teams seek to improve themselves and our processes, innovations are inevitable. And these stories will inspire the next generation of aviation professionals as we Keep Climbing.

Delta Makes History As First US Airline to Reach 100 Years

Delta is the first and only US airline to reach 100 years. As we use our centennial as an opportunity to look ahead to the next 100 years, one thing is clear: Our people are who set us apart.

Love is in the air: How missed connections led to a picture-perfect proposal

At Delta, successful journeys are built on strategically charted paths. But when it comes to love, everything doesn’t always go to plan. One pilot and flight attendant discovered that if you trust in fate, the stars can align to set the course toward something for the storybooks.

Young Justin and Fallon foreshadowing their futures

Missed connections — and reconnections

First Officer Justin Brown grew up in Peachtree City, Ga. with Delta in his blood. The son of a 46-year Delta vet, joining the family business was his lifelong dream. As for Fallon Carney, an ATL-based flight attendant, her love for aviation also began at a young age watching her mother, a flight attendant of now 38 years, sail the skies.

Fallon and Justin’s love story began in 2019 on a four-day trip to Mexico while both working for Mesa Airlines. They became friends instantly and would often find each other in the crew room during sits.

In 2022, life took them in different directions when Fallon made the move to Delta as a flight attendant. Once she earned her wings, she relocated to Houston to be closer to family.

A few months later, Justin got a job offer to become a Delta pilot. As luck would have it, Fallon had just moved bases to Atlanta, so she asked her Georgia-grown friend to show her the city. That night, these two longtime friends felt a spark, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

Fallon and Justin in the Delta Flight Museum

The proposal

After two happy years together, Justin knew Fallon was the one. He decided to ask Fallon to marry him in St. Maarten, where they took their first vacation as a couple. With its runway right next to the ocean, he knew proposing there with a plane passing over would be perfect.

He booked their hotel, contacted a well-known plane spotter to capture the moment, and was ready for takeoff.

On Feb. 1, 2025, Fallon was enjoying the beach while Justin was secretly sweating it out. As the Delta 757 made its final approach, with knots in his stomach but “tailwinds” at his back, Justin got down on one knee, told Fallon how he felt and popped the question.

“I was shocked and overjoyed,” beamed Fallon. “I had always dreamed of this moment, but the fact that it was Justin made it a million times better. The most special part was seeing how big he was smiling.”

“This journey has been amazing,” Justin reflected. “It just goes to show you never know who you’ll meet on an airplane...and next thing you know, you’re flying with your best friend.”

ENGAGED IN ST. MAARTEN