The Vertical Space
The Vertical Space
Jim Barry, Peter Shannon & Luka Tomljenovic
#103 Ed Bastian, Delta Air Lines: Raising the ceiling of possibility
53 minutes Posted Oct 30, 2025 at 7:00 am.
Delta's Premium Focus
An Immersive, Connected Experience
Take Good Care of Your People, And They'll Take Good Care Of Your Customers"
Navigating Challenges and Future Vision
AI - "Enabling To Do Your Job Even Better"
Ed's Most Important Metrics
Persona of Accessibility
A Bigger Ecosystem
Joby's First Flights and Delta's Vision - An Extension Of The Ecosystem
The Cost Of Running Perfectly Every Single Day Is Enormous
Top Unsolved Pain Points
Delta Reported 60% Of The Overall Industry Profits
A Fortress Balance Sheet
 International Expansion and Vision
Aspiration: Delta As The National And Global Champion
I Need Great Solutions, Not Ideas
Raising The Ceiling Of Possibility
Leadership and Mentorship Insights
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Show notes
In this episode, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian breaks down what truly differentiates a great airline: people and culture. Ed shares why “take care of your people first” isn’t a slogan (it’s Delta’s operating system!) and how that shows up in reliability, premium customer experience, and everyday leadership. We get a candid look at running a 100,000-person, 5,000-flights-a-day operation; the metrics he checks first (on-time arrivals and cash); and why accessibility and listening are his non-n...