OREANDA-NEWS. Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) employees today will receive profit sharing as part of the company's USD 1.1 billion total payout for 2014 - the largest payment in the company's history - in recognition for their industry-leading performance.

"At Delta, we believe that people, values and culture drive our success," said Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive officer. "We call it the 'Delta Difference.' It is essential for our employees to have an ownership stake in our business and share in the record-breaking achievements they helped create. Thank you to Delta's 80,000 people worldwide, who made 2014 an exceptional year by taking great care of our customers."

Total individual payouts will equal more than 16 percent of employees' eligible 2014 earnings, which equates to an average of nearly two months' salary. In October 2014, Delta paid a 5 percent advance on profit sharing to employees.

The 2014 payout is a record for the airline industry, and among the highest for any U.S. corporation.

In addition to profit sharing, Delta's Shared Rewards program pays out monthly bonuses for meeting corporate operational goals throughout the year.

In 2014, Delta employees earned more than USD 84 million in Shared Rewards as the company achieved history-making operational and financial results. Delta has paid out USD 2.9 billion to employees in profit sharing and Shared Rewards during the past five years.

Delta employees will be honored for their record-breaking performance today at events held across its global network.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 170 million customers each year. Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for four consecutive years, a first for any airline. Additionally, Delta was named to FORTUNE magazine's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the third time in four years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 326 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a newly formed 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, New York-LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground.