• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Features

This airline is changing its look in the skies

By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 30, 2015, 2:47 PM ET
<h1>Delta buys a refinery</h1>
Consumers have a ton of complaints about airlines. That they don't refine their own jet fuel is not one of them. Nonetheless, in April, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=DAL&amp;source=story_quote_link" title="">Delta</a> decided to spend $220 million to buy and restart a shuttered oil refinery on the outskirts of Philadelphia. It wasn't Delta's largest deal of the year. The company agreed in December to buy 49% of Virgin Atlantic airlines for $360 million (a deal that received <a href="http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/12/05/virgin-delta-airlines/" title="">plenty of criticism</a>, too). But the refinery acquisition was Delta's most controversial. 



Delta's CEO Richard Anderson said the refinery would greatly reduce the airline's exposure to rising and falling jet fuel prices. Yes, but it will also greatly increase the company's exposure to changes in the price of oil, which is the primary input for a refinery. And while Anderson is worried about that, passengers will be left wondering why their connecting flight in Atlanta never showed up.



<em>Editor's note: A previous version of this slide incorrectly stated that Delta agreed to purchase 49% of Virgin America in December. Delta agreed to purchase a stake in Virgin Atlantic. </em>
<h1>Delta buys a refinery</h1> Consumers have a ton of complaints about airlines. That they don't refine their own jet fuel is not one of them. Nonetheless, in April, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=DAL&amp;source=story_quote_link" title="">Delta</a> decided to spend $220 million to buy and restart a shuttered oil refinery on the outskirts of Philadelphia. It wasn't Delta's largest deal of the year. The company agreed in December to buy 49% of Virgin Atlantic airlines for $360 million (a deal that received <a href="http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/12/05/virgin-delta-airlines/" title="">plenty of criticism</a>, too). But the refinery acquisition was Delta's most controversial. Delta's CEO Richard Anderson said the refinery would greatly reduce the airline's exposure to rising and falling jet fuel prices. Yes, but it will also greatly increase the company's exposure to changes in the price of oil, which is the primary input for a refinery. And while Anderson is worried about that, passengers will be left wondering why their connecting flight in Atlanta never showed up. <em>Editor's note: A previous version of this slide incorrectly stated that Delta agreed to purchase 49% of Virgin America in December. Delta agreed to purchase a stake in Virgin Atlantic. </em>Photo: Scott Olson/Getty

Flight attendants and customer service agents for Delta Airlines (DAL) are about to get much more fashionable, courtesy of designer Zac Posen.

Posen will be designing new uniforms for the airline’s staff, and will be advising on new uniforms for many other uniform-wearing employees of the company.

“With Zac’s talent and expertise, and in partnership with Delta people worldwide, we look forward to creating a timeless, fashionable and functional new collection that will continue to be a point of pride and symbol of our brand for the 170 million customers who fly with us each year,” said Tim Mapes, Delta’s senior vice president for marketing, in a statement.

Pilots were not mentioned in Delta’s press release. The new uniforms are expected to debut in early 2018.

In a recent report, Delta had quarterly adjusted pre-tax income of $594 million.

About the Author
By Ben Geier
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Features

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Future of Work
Ford CEO has 5,000 open mechanic jobs with up to 6-figure salaries from the shortage of manually skilled workers: 'We are in trouble in our country'
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 31, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
'I just don't have a good feeling about this': Top economist Claudia Sahm says the economy quietly shifted and everyone's now looking at the wrong alarm
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 31, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Ryan Serhant starts work at 4:30 a.m.—he says most people don’t achieve their dreams because ‘what they really want is just to be lazy’
By Preston ForeJanuary 31, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative cut 70 jobs as the Meta CEO’s philanthropy goes all in on mission to 'cure or prevent all disease'
By Sydney LakeFebruary 1, 2026
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
U.S. Olympic gold medalist went from $200,000-a-year sponsorship at 20 years old to $12-an-hour internship by 30
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 1, 2026
9 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Meet the first CEO of the IRS: A Jamie Dimon protégé facing a $5 trillion test this tax season
By Shawn TullyJanuary 31, 2026
2 days ago

Latest in Features

FeaturesBlue Ribbon Companies
Blue Ribbon Companies 2026: See which tech giant made more Fortune lists than any other in the past year
By Fortune EditorsJanuary 15, 2026
18 days ago
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
InvestingWarren Buffett
Warren Buffett’s blind spot: Did the digital economy leave him behind?
By Adam SeesselDecember 30, 2025
1 month ago
Photo of Sam Altman
AIOpenAI
Inside OpenAI’s fragile lead in the AI race, and the 8-week ‘code red’ to fend off a resurgent Google
By Jeremy Kahn, Alexei Oreskovic and Lee CliffordDecember 17, 2025
2 months ago
FeaturesThe Boring Company
Two firefighters suffered chemical burns in a Boring Co. tunnel. Then the Nevada Governor’s office got involved, and the penalties disappeared
By Jessica Mathews and Leo SchwartzNovember 12, 2025
3 months ago
CoreWeave executives pose in front of the Nasdaq building on the day of the company's IPO.
AIData centers
Data-center operator CoreWeave is a stock-market darling. Bears see its finances as emblematic of an AI infrastructure bubble
By Jeremy Kahn and Leo SchwartzNovember 8, 2025
3 months ago
Libery Energy's hydraulic fracturing, or frac, spreads are increasingly electrified with natural gas power, a technology now translating to powering data centers.
Energy
AI’s insatiable need for power is driving an unexpected boom in oil-fracking company stocks 
By Jordan BlumOctober 23, 2025
3 months ago