Delta Air Lines COO Michael Spanos to Leave at End of August

Delta Air Lines announced on Friday that Chief Operating Officer Michael Spanos will be departing the company at the end of August. Spanos, who joined Delta in June 2023, is set to leave after a little over a year in the airline industry to pursue a new opportunity elsewhere.

The news of Spanos’ departure comes on the heels of a challenging period for Delta, which recently faced significant flight cancellations during a recovery phase following a global technology outage.

Prior to his time at Delta, Spanos held executive positions at PepsiCo, the Pepsi Bottling Group, and Six Flags Entertainment. He was one of three executive vice presidents at the Atlanta-based airline.

While Delta did not provide a specific reason for Spanos’ departure in a regulatory filing, CEO Ed Bastian mentioned that Spanos had expressed his intention to leave the company earlier in the summer. Bastian credited Spanos with contributing to Delta’s performance improvements during his tenure.

Following Spanos’ departure, Delta does not plan to name a new chief operating officer. President Glen Hauenstein is widely regarded as playing a key role in the day-to-day operations of the company.

Delta’s recent technology outage, which resulted from a faulty software upgrade, led to the cancellation of thousands of flights over a five-day period. While other airlines were able to recover more swiftly, Delta faced challenges in repositioning crews and matching them with available aircraft.

The U.S. Transportation Department is currently investigating the incident, and Delta is seeking $500 million in damages from the software providers involved. Delta claims that it was not provided with adequate support during the recovery process.

Despite these challenges, Delta remains committed to providing reliable service to its customers and ensuring operational efficiency in the future.