1960's-1970's

Join us on these dates for the Full Museum Experience with the Hangars & 747: Apr 7, Apr 8, Apr 13, Apr 15, Apr 17, Apr 27, Apr 28.

Through the Decades: 1960's

Delta enters the computer and jet age

1960

First airline to launch Convair 880 jet service. Opens Jet Base in Atlanta, today's Technical Operations Center (TOC), for aircraft maintenance and overhaul that has the largest doors (open area) of any similar structure in the United States.

1961

Flies first nonstop service from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Delta links California and the Caribbean with first jet service from California to Montego Bay and Caracas. Receives National Safety Award for flying more than 11 billion passenger miles without a fatality.

1962

Delta modifies cabin configurations to offer both First Class and Economy Class on all its four-engine aircraft. A Delta DC-8 is the first commercial plane to fly Los Angeles-Atlanta in less than 3 hours (02:57:11).

1964

Deltamatic SABRE Electronic Reservations activates for "instant" computerized flight reservations.

The initial system consists of about 350 Deltamatic SABRE sets in use by reservations agents at Reservations Control in Atlanta and 24 offices across the U.S., serving customers in nearly 60 cities on the Delta system. Between these "res centers" and two large IBM 7074 computers at Delta's SABRE Center in Atlanta, a "high-speed communications network" processed and stored reservations using two IBM 1401 computer systems, two IBM 7750 communications computers, 23 magnetic tape drives, three magnetic drums and five disk files.

Unlike other airline computerized reservations systems at the time, Deltamatic could handle alphabetic information as well as numeric information, meaning no paper records were required to support Deltamatic at the reservations centers and all records could be processed and stored electronically in the Atlanta SABRE Center. Deltamatic was also faster, performing five times as many functions as any other reservations computer system.

1965

Delta is first airline to launch Douglas DC-9 service.

1966

Delta founder C.E. Woolman dies. Charles H. Dolson becomes Delta's second CEO. Patricia Murphy is Delta’s first African American flight attendant. Crop-dusting division ceases operations. Delta is first with Lockheed L-100 Hercules all-cargo planes.

1968

Sam Graddy is Delta’s first African American pilot. A reconditioned 1925 Huff Daland Duster is donated to the Smithsonian Institution as a memorial to founder C.E. Woolman. Delta adopts standard paint scheme for its aircraft fleet—the classic "widget" branded livery.

1969

Enclosed baggage carts with shelves and side curtains to protect luggage now in use.

Through the Decades: 1970's

Delta celebrates 50 years going strong

1970

Delta has an all-jet passenger airplane fleet. Boeing 747 jets offer Delta’s first audio in-flight entertainment, including music by the Beatles, Burt Bacharach and Beethoven.

1971

W.T. Beebe becomes Chairman and CEO. Sky in-flight magazine appears: browse the first issue.

1972

Northeast Airlines merges with Delta. Delta now a major carrier in Boston and New York, with direct routes from NYC and New England to Florida, Canada, Bahamas and Bermuda. Boeing 727, and briefly turboprop FH-227B, acquired from Northeast join Delta's fleet. Aircraft cabins have separate areas for smoking and no smoking.

1973

L-1011 TriStar service begins. First airline to simultaneously operate three of the first generation wide-bodies jets—the L-1011, Douglas DC-10 and Boeing 747.

1974

First of 17 consecutive years as #1 major U.S. airline for customer service. Delta has fewest passenger complaints as ranked by the Department of Transportation.

1975

First airline to offer its own air express service, a new high priority, guaranteed cargo service called Delta Air Express.

1978

The Airline Deregulation Act passes. Delta begins transatlantic service: Atlanta to London. Introduces Business Class (called Medallion Service) and motion picture film entertainment. Industry magazine Air Transport World names Delta its global Airline of the Year for 1977. David C. Garrett, Jr. becomes CEO.

1979

Delta celebrates its 50th year of passenger service; begins flights to Frankfurt, West Germany. First airline in the world to board one million passengers in one city in one month (Atlanta in month of August). Delta receives Public Interest Award from the Airport Operators Council International in recognition of jet noise abatement efforts.