Delta's top employees given red-carpet treatment at 20th annual Chairman's Club gala

ATLANTA, Nov. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta will roll out the red carpet – literally – for 100 peer-nominated employees tonight at its annual Chairman's Club Gala in Atlanta. The event is the culmination of a months-long process to celebrate people who demonstrate the culture Delta says most sets it apart from other airlines.

Now in its 20th year, Chairman's Club is Delta's most prestigious peer-to-peer employee recognition program, honoring women and men across the company's worldwide operation who embody reliability, innovation, thoughtfulness and servant leadership and who demonstrate the highest standards of service to customers, coworkers and the communities Delta serves.

"All year long, Delta people worldwide have shown that they'll do whatever it takes to make Delta the best airline it can be," said Ed Bastian, Delta's CEO. "Our Chairman's Club honorees embody that commitment each day. We're grateful for the example they set in caring for our customers and leading us to success."

The gala will begin with a Red Carpet Experience where coworkers, friends and family members will cheer on the honorees as they arrive at the Delta Flight Museum at the airline's General Offices in Atlanta. Once inside, honorees will be treated to a dinner with wine pairings by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson. The event will also feature individual recognition for the honorees and appearances from top Delta executives, who will express their gratitude and admiration for the new members of the Chairman's Club.

This year, the selection committee received more than 10,000 nominations. The 100 honorees who advanced through the rigorous selection process represent 28 Delta stations in six countries and on average have nearly 22 years of service. Five of the honorees have more than 40 years of service, and the most senior honoree has worked at Delta for 51 years.

Follow along with the excitement on the red carpet on Delta's Facebook page and inside the gala with the hashtag #2016HONOREE across social media platforms.

See the full list of the 2016 honorees below (first name, last name, location):

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 319 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and Facebook.com/delta.

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SOURCE Delta Air Lines