Delta's Family Tree

Through over 80 years of service and growth, Delta has been enriched with the addition of airlines to its family tree. Mergers and a route acquisition brought new employees, aircraft and routes that helped build today's global carrier.

Did you know Delta's earliest international destinations came from its first merger in 1953? Check out the resources below to learn more about the pioneering achievements of Delta's family of airlines.

Delta/Northwest Airlines Family Tree
See how Delta and Northwest Airlines grew over the years until agreeing to merge in 2008. This family tree was created for Northwest's employee magazine in 2008, and edited by the Delta Museum in 2009.

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Chicago and Southern Air Lines
When Chicago and Southern merged with Delta in 1953, its routes brought Delta's first international service—to the Caribbean and Venezuela.

Northeast Airlines
A 1972 merger with Boston-based Northeast extended Delta's East Coast services from Canada to the Caribbean.

Western Airlines
Western was the oldest continuously operating airline in the United States at the time of its merger with Delta in 1987.

Pan Am
Delta acquired Pan Am's trans-Atlantic and Shuttle routes in 1991.

Northwest Airlines
A pioneering airline since 1926, by the time Northwest joined Delta in 2008, it carried the most passengers across the Pacific and was a top cargo carrier in the United States.