June 12

It grew from a crop-dusting company based in the Mississippi River delta and became one of Georgia’s most famous corporate residents.

Delta Air Lines began life in 1924 as a crop duster, based first in Macon and then Monroe, Louisiana. Collett Woolman bought the company in 1928 and renamed it Delta Air Service, with passenger service between Dallas and Jackson, Mississippi. In 1930, Delta expanded passenger service east to Atlanta and west to Fort Worth. In 1941, Delta established corporate headquarters in Atlanta and continued to grow under Woolman’s leadership through a series of mergers with other airlines that expanded routes across the U.S. and Europe.



Delta continually upgraded its fleet, setting industry standards for safety and comfort. The company officially became Delta Air Lines in 1945 and played a crucial role in the rise of post-war Atlanta as an international city and commercial powerhouse.


Delta has been ready when you are since passenger service to Atlanta began on June 12, 1930, Today in Georgia History.