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Delta's Ray Valeika Receives SAE Leadership Award

21 October 1999

Delta's Ray Valeika Receives Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Leadership Award

    ATLANTA, Oct. 21 -- Ray Valeika, Delta Air Lines
senior vice president - technical operations, has been chosen by the Society
of Automotive Engineers (SAE) as this year's recipient of the Marvin Whitlock
Award.  Valeika was chosen for this award in recognition of his
accomplishments and long-term leadership within the aeronautical engineering
and commercial aviation industries.
    "I am extremely pleased that Ray has won the prestigious Marvin Whitlock
Award," said Mac Armstrong, executive vice president - operations.  "His
leadership has made Delta an established industry leader in terms of safety,
operational reliability, productivity, community involvement and commitment to
its employees," Armstrong continued.
    The Marvin Whitlock Award is awarded annually to recognize an individual
for outstanding management accomplishment that has resulted in superior
aviation maintenance integrity of airline, fixed base, corporate or military
aircraft.  It acknowledges and commemorates the distinctive management
contributions of the late Marvin Whitlock, senior vice president - maintenance
and a member of the Board of Directors of United Air Lines.
     "I am honored to have been chosen to receive this award," said Valeika.
"Delta is a leader in aviation in the areas of safety, technical excellence
and compliance, and this award honors the entire Delta technical operations
team."  The award will be presented at the World Aviation Congress at its
annual banquet tonight in San Francisco.
    Valeika directs a worldwide maintenance and engineering staff of more than
10,000 professionals who maintain Delta's fleet of nearly 600 aircraft and
provide maintenance services for other airline customers.
    Delta, named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine and
"Best-Managed Major Airline" for 1999 by Aviation Week & Space Technology
magazine, is the world's most flown carrier. More than 105 million passengers
traveled on Delta in 1998. Delta, Delta Express, the Delta Shuttle, the Delta
Connection carriers and Delta's Worldwide Partners operate 5,266 flights each
day to 357 cities in 59 countries.