Delta is being recognized as the No. 1 transportation company on The JUST 100: Companies Doing Right By America, which ranks companies on the social issues consumers care about most including fair wages, job creation and accountability. The airline ranked 38th on the global list of companies.

“The power of Delta’s brand has always been putting people at the center of everything we do,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “This is a wonderful recognition of the incredible efforts of our people to take care of our customers, our communities and our planet. We still have a long way to go, but we’re committed to connecting the world and making it a better place for generations to come.”

Forbes, in collaboration with JUST Capital, announced its fifth annual list of the JUST companies, which measures and ranks companies on the issues Americans care about most. This year’s top three considerations for rankings were: pays a fair, living wage; creates jobs in the U.S.; and prioritizes accountability to all stakeholders. It also weighs worker safety, ethical operations, diverse and inclusive workplace culture, and combating climate change.

Delta ranked No. 1 in the transportation industry for the categories of workers and customers. This comes in a year where Delta doubled down on its equity commitments within the business and in the community by:

• Closing the representation gaps between frontline employees and leadership
• Joining the Bipartisan Policy Center Business Alliance for Effective Democracy, which prioritizes policies that enhance the voting experience, inspire confidence in election results, and foster collaboration and bipartisanship in Delta's governing institutions, especially Congress
• Transitioning 7,000 Airport Customer Service and Cargo employees from part-time Ready Reserve roles to benefit-eligible Customer Service Agents. This change was a significant step forward to create more equity across airline's employee workgroups by providing access to all Delta benefits, including health care
• Expanding Delta's partnership with Operation HOPE to support its One Million Black Business and Entrepreneur Initiative and Financial Literacy for All, offering financial literacy programs for Delta employees. Delta has 10 coaches on-site at their major U.S. hubs, and all domestic employees will have access to these coaches virtually
• Starting to work inside Delta to pursue a “skills-first” hiring approach as part of Delta's OneTen partnership, removing the four-year degree requirement from more than 70% of the airline jobs. As the largest employer in Georgia, Delta intends to help lead the coalition’s efforts to build a Black talent ecosystem within Atlanta

In an ever-changing world, Delta has been steadfast in its commitment to putting people first. A values-driven company with a mission of connecting the people and cultures of the globe, Delta embraces its responsibility to its employees, its customers and the planet. It is taking action to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace because it believes that its people should reflect the cultures and identities of the world. It leads the way in ensuring safe, reliable and comfortable travel while providing a world-class customer experience. It was the first airline to commit to being carbon neutral on a global basis, its efforts embodied by Flight to Net Zero.