Delta Air Lines unveiled its custom Team USA aircraft livery honoring the global carrier’s commitment to connect athletes with their dreams as the official airline of Team USA. The Team USA-inspired A330-900 celebrates Delta’s new eight-year partnership with Team USA, which runs through the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Delta and Team USA share a deep belief that connecting the world makes us all better,” said Tim Mapes, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Delta. “This one-of-a-kind livery celebrates our partnership, which has been built on shared values and the inspiring athletes of Team USA, whose indomitable spirit lies at the heart of both our ‘Keep Climbing’ message and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.”
The custom livery was designed by Shane Edwards, Delta’s Product and Experiential Design Manager, in collaboration with the airline’s in-house creative team, Window Seat. Unique Team USA design elements that are incorporated throughout the livery were developed by Carey McKay, Delta Art Director and Graphic Designer, and will also be featured in various Delta visuals, materials and platforms both in flight and on the ground.
“The team opted for a clean, classic design to promote the partnership between Team USA and Delta,” Edwards said. “The Team USA logo is prominently featured, along with a blue gradient that represents the sky and ‘rise to the top’ with a grounding red element representing the resilience needed to get there.”
The custom paint design, which started flying Dec. 18, will be assigned primarily trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific routes. Serving Delta’s commitment and path to a more sustainable future, the A330-900 is a key part of Delta’s widebody fleet renewal plan and is 21% more fuel-efficient per ASM than the 767s it replaces in the fleet. The plane encompasses Delta’s enduring support for Team USA and its pursuit of excellence.
To further its commitment to Team USA, Delta has also proudly partnered with six inspiring athletes on their journey to the Beijing Winter Games. Delta and Team USA have a shared drive to be the best, and the airline will support these athletes both on and off the field of play, celebrating their stories of resilience and perseverance as they pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams.
Delta revealed the new livery at an event Friday hosted by Olympians Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir near its global headquarters in Atlanta. Nearly 600 employees were in attendance as Delta CEO Ed Bastian unveiled the aircraft livery alongside LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Chairperson Casey Wasserman. Olympic Legends Apolo Ohno (Speed Skating) and Vonetta Flowers (Bobsled) were also on hand for the first look, alongside Cnossen, Glenn and U.S. Paralympian Mallory Weggemann.
“I’m very proud to partner with Delta on the road to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” Cnossen said. “Its support is invaluable, especially as I approach my third Paralympic Games, and it is very exciting to see how they will celebrate Team USA through the new livery design. Delta is all about helping people’s dreams take flight, whether you’re an Olympic or Paralympic athlete or an everyday traveler. This plane is one of many ways Delta will bring the Olympic and Paralympic spirit to life in the air and on the ground—and as an athlete, I’m honored to be a part of this journey.”
As Team USA’s official airline, Delta will manage travel for U.S. Olympians and Paralympians to Beijing 2022, Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026 and LA28, where it also is an inaugural founding partner. The first Beijing-bound flight will depart in January from Los Angeles International Airport and operate as a charter in order to meet Chinese government entry requirements. Delta’s charter flights are the only way Team USA athletes and staff will travel to Beijing 2022 from the U.S.
“Even through a global pandemic, Team USA athletes have endured and thrived in pursuit of the Olympic and Paralympic dream,” said Bill Wernecke, Managing Director – Charter Operations. “We are proud to carry this extraordinary team into competition and we look forward to being the first to welcome them home.”
The partnership with Team USA furthers the global airline’s longstanding support for sport—and its proud history supporting Team USA at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Delta served as a past sponsor of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in its hometown in the Atlanta 1996 and Salt Lake City 2002.
