Delta Volunteers Build Five Houses with Habitat for Humanity in China

ATLANTA and SHANGHAI, May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and Habitat for Humanity will join forces May 23 - 25, to help build five Habitat houses in Pinghu, a municipality near Shanghai, as part of Delta's Force for Global Good program to effect positive local and global change.

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More than 50 Delta employees will build houses in Pinghu, China, where many families are living in decades-old mud-brick homes without proper sanitation. Delta also is joining forces with SkyTeam partners China Southern and China Eastern, which are sending more than 20 volunteers to work with the Delta team.

"At Delta, we take seriously our responsibility to contribute to the communities we serve," said Ed Bastian, president of Delta and a Habitat for Humanity International board member.  "It is our privilege to help families in Pinghu improve their living conditions."  

Sandeep Bahl, Delta director - China and Hong Kong added, "It is an honor to build these homes working alongside employees from our Chinese partner airlines. Delta will continue to find ways to work with our China-based SkyTeam partners to make a difference in local communities."

Delta volunteers will be joined by Ronald Hernandez of New Orleans, La., a Delta SkyMiles® member who bid more than 483,000 miles in an online auction to win the opportunity to participate in the build.  The miles will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.

"Delta's donations and volunteers will help improve the living conditions of members of the Pinghu community and provide critical support to Habitat for Humanity China's ongoing disaster response initiatives including Sichuan Earthquake rebuilding efforts," said Kester Yim, managing director of Habitat for Humanity China. "The arrival of the Delta Force for Global Good demonstrates how Habitat for Humanity is mobilizing resources from around the world for life-changing local impact."

This will be the second time Delta volunteers and Habitat for Humanity have worked together in Asia. Two years ago, nearly 70 Delta employees traveled to the Mekong Valley in Thailand to build homes as part of Habitat's Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

This is Delta's seventh international build with Habitat for Humanity. Delta employees from around the globe use vacation time and pay a portion of their expenses to volunteer on the international builds and help those in need of simple, decent and affordable housing, while also taking the opportunity to know more about the country and its culture. Delta has been involved in similar projects in South Africa, Ghana, India, Thailand and Chile.  Within the United States, Delta's volunteers have built houses in New York, Mississippi, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida and California.

Delta has supported Habitat for Humanity for more than 20 years and strengthened the partnership in 2006 by becoming a national partner and unveiling the first 767-300 featuring a unique Habitat for Humanity livery and a Delta "Force for Global Good" decal.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 400,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 2 million people. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit Habitat.org.

About Habitat for Humanity China

Habitat for Humanity China was established in 2000 and merged its operations in Hong Kong and China into a single entity in 2006. The move aimed to leverage the resources and business acumen of Asia's premier international city to promote Habitat's mission of providing decent housing for those in need in the world's largest developing economy. Habitat for Humanity China currently works in Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces as well as in Hong Kong and Shanghai.  For more information, visit www.habitatchina.org.

About Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 346 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

SOURCE Delta Air Lines