Delta Airlines To Add 5,000 Jobs In Response To Travel Surge

ATLANTA — Delta Airlines looks to hire more than 5,000 people in response to an overwhelming surge in travel following the year of lockdowns caused by the global pandemic.

In a letter to customers released online Tuesday afternoon, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the Atlanta-based airline would focus on bringing back hundreds of former employees and hiring and training 1,300 customer service specialists by September.

“With the influx of travelers coming back after more than a year at home, our agents on the phone and at the airport have experienced an unprecedented level of questions about travel policies and schedule changes,” Bastian wrote. “That has resulted in significant wait times, which is why we’re rapidly adding staff and leveraging new technology to serve you in a timely manner.”

In total, the airline is planning to bring on more than 3,000 in operations and customer service areas including catering, wheelchair staffing and cleaning services.

The message comes as the travel industry responds to a resurgence of engagement from people who want to stretch their legs after being sequestered in their homes for more than a year.

To that end, the airline is also providing enhanced benefits to its loyalty programs and extending the validity of both expiring and newly purchased tickets, as well as corresponding flight vouchers, through the end of 2022.