CINCINNATI, Aug. 6, 2003—Delta Connection carrier Comair, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL), is receiving the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Diamond Award for the ninth consecutive year. The award - the FAA’s most prestigious honor - signifies Comair’s commitment to aircraft maintenance training and safety excellence. FAA officials are presenting the Diamond Award Certificate of Excellence to Comair later this month at the airline’s headquarters at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

“Comair’s intense focus on safety is the most important part of our operation,” said Randy Rademacher, Comair president. “A strong and constant emphasis on excellent aircraft maintenance and training is a first step in offering our customers and employees a safe and secure environment in which to travel and work. Congratulations to our Maintenance team for the great job they do every day.”

At least 25 percent of an airline’s eligible maintenance technicians must pass specialized, ongoing training in a 12-month period to qualify for FAA Diamond Award consideration. That training goes beyond the FAA’s basic certification requirements. At Comair, 70 percent of the airline’s 400 eligible technicians successfully completed this additional training in 2002.

“Having a highly qualified and stable Maintenance workforce like ours would typically make it challenging to retain a high percentage of participation in the FAA Diamond program,” said Ralph Martin, Comair’s vice president of Maintenance. “Because of the dedication of our Maintenance technicians, training staff and department leadership, Comair’s Maintenance team continues to have a high level of accomplishment in this program.”

Noting that Comair has far exceeded the FAA requirements to be eligible for Diamond Award consideration, Principal FAA Maintenance Inspector P.C. Messina said, “This commitment reflects the importance placed on Maintenance Training by Comair. The FAA thanks Comair for their cooperation and commitment to safety in air transportation.”

Comair operates nearly 1,000 flights a day to 115 cities in the United States, Canada and the Bahamas. For more information on Comair, please visit comair.com.

Delta Connection carriers include Delta’s wholly owned subsidiaries Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Comair, additional regional carriers Atlantic Coast Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines and SkyWest Airlines, and codeshare partner American Eagle (in California). Delta Connection carriers operate more than 350 regional jets throughout North America. For more information, visit delta.com.
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