Delta Air Lines has made an additional contribution of $500,000 to the American National Red Cross to deliver aid to those impacted by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday. The storm has wreaked havoc across a total of 10 states, leaving over 130 dead and scores more missing.

Delta adds to Hurricane Helene relief efforts

The carrier has added another half a million to support the millions of people impacted by Hurricane Helene - this is on top of the $1 million contributed by The Delta Air Lines Foundation as part of the Annual Disaster Giving Program.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Tad Hutcheson, Managing Director of Community Engagement at Delta, said,

"Serving people, whether they are our customers or our neighbors in the communities where we live, work and serve, is part of Delta's DNA. The destruction across the southeast from Hurricane Helene is massive, and we want to do more to help those in need."

Hurricane Helene is a Category 4 storm and the strongest ever to hit Florida's Big Bend Region. Along with impacting Florida, the storm has left severe damage in other states, notably Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee. It has understandably had a major impact on aviation in the region, causing the cancelation of thousands of flights.

Related Thousands Of Cancellations: The Impact Of Hurricane Helene On Flights Over The Weekend

By October 1, United States airlines' schedules should largely recover from the events on the weekend.

1

Many are calling Helene the worst natural disaster of their lifetimes, with the American Red Cross opening more than 140 shelters to support victims - those interested in donating to the American Red Cross can visit Delta's microsite to learn more. The airline also allows its SkyMiles members to donate air miles to charitable organizations through its SkyWish portal.

Photo: Delta Air Lines

Other airlines are also doing their part to provide relief to Hurricane Helene victims - this includes American Airlines, which has donated 10 million AAdvantage® miles to Airlink, a non-profit providing on-the-ground support.

Longest non-profit partner

Delta and the American Red Cross have worked together for over 80 years, with their relationship stretching all the way back to 1941 during the Second World War. Delta's annual funding of the American Red Cross helps the latter maintain readiness to respond to disasters all year round. As Hutcheson explained,

"The most effective way we can help is by investing in organizations involved in disaster relief year-round."

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Delta has also been a leading partner with the American Red Cross in finding blood donors, recently achieving its seventh year in a row of being the No. 1 corporate blood drive sponsor. Over FY2024, Delta held 373 blood drives across 83 national locations, contributing a record 15,585 units of blood. Chris Hrouda, President of American Red Cross Biomedical Services, said,

"We are grateful for the continued dedication of Delta and their employees to our lifesaving mission. Your blood program helps us ensure that patients across the country have access to essential blood whenever and wherever needed."

The Delta Air Lines Foundation is a non-profit built around providing support and quality of life services to communities. This includes investments in education, healthcare and other charitable endeavors, with the foundation contributing $60 million globally over 2023.