Delta Air Lines and Salt Lake City have finalized a new lease agreement, paving the way for Delta’s continued growth and investment in one of its critical West Coast hubs.
Officially announced during Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s 2023 State of the City address, the contract extends Delta’s current lease to 2044 and adds a construction phase to Delta’s SLC expansion plan. The agreement will increase Delta’s gates at the airport from 55 to 66, with completion anticipated in 2027.
“Salt Lake City is key to Delta’s continued success in bolstering its position as the leading global premium carrier for the region, and this lease agreement and subsequent expansion plan are a testament to that,” said Holden Shannon, Delta’s S.V.P. of Corporate Real Estate. “Delta’s historic SLC agreement is another important marker of our ongoing commitment to transform the travel experience on the ground and in the air.”
The agreement commits Delta to $2.8 billion in lease payments through 2044 and will create a more comfortable, seamless travel journey for customers while boosting the local and state economy through meaningful job creation. The agreement includes two five-year renewal options, allowing Delta to operate under the new lease until 2054.
Utah continues to serve as a focal point of the airline’s hiring strategy: the state is home to roughly 5,000 Delta people, with 1,000 people hired in 2022 alone.
“I’m thrilled to see key partners like Delta deepen their roots in our incredible capital city,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “Our strong economy, skilled workforce, and welcoming culture make it the perfect place for Delta to thrive. We are ready for this investment. I’m grateful for our continued partnership and look forward to all the good we’ll do together over the next 21 years.”
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With more flights out of Utah than all other carriers combined*, Delta is constantly raising the bar to further serve the needs of Salt Lake City’s travelers. During peak-summer season, Delta operates a robust roster of more than 240 daily flights to nearly 90 destinations across the globe, including Amsterdam, London and Paris.
“This historic airport agreement not only exemplifies Delta’s ongoing commitment to Salt Lake, but also affords the airport more opportunities to enhance partnerships with the airline,” said Bill Wyatt, Director of Airports for Salt Lake City. “Our passengers can look forward to more flights to more destinations in the coming years and greater connectivity worldwide. We are looking forward to the next 30 years.”
Delta also recently announced a long-term naming rights agreement and sponsorship deal with the Utah Jazz that will focus on the community engagement and returning the ‘Delta Center’ name back to Utah Jazz arena starting in July 2023.
Delta has invested $12 billion coast-to-coast in the last 10 years, doubling down on its vision for the future of travel to build airports of the future that are comfortable, easy to navigate and part of an effortlessly connected journey, capable of absorbing and supporting new innovative experiences as technology evolves.
