Delta people welcome triumphant Atlanta Braves home

The Atlanta Braves triumphantly returned to Atlanta with victory still fresh Wednesday evening. The team made their homecoming journey back to Atlanta on a Delta jet, carrying their hard-earned cargo – a trophy that has eluded the team since 1995. Upon their arrival, the Delta jet that brought them home was dedicated in commemoration of their victorious season.

Photo by Chris Sweigart, Delta Air Lines

Throughout the 2021 season, the Braves demonstrated resilience and perseverance. After a regular season and postseason that required grit and determination, their final game – featuring shutout pitching and thrilling home runs – put a powerful period on a season that earned this team a permanent place in the hearts of Braves fans.

Photo by Chris Sweigart, Delta Air Lines

Delta people welcomed the team back to Atlanta on Wednesday night at the Signature Elite terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. As the team stepped off the plane, led by star first baseman Freddie Freeman proudly holding the trophy high, they were met with a warm and enthusiastic welcome by Delta people, led by CEO Ed Bastian.

Photo by Chris Sweigart, Delta Air Lines

Bastian and Delta people dedicated the A330 homecoming jet to this Braves team and their championship win. As the players stepped off the plane, they watched as a decal declaring “Victory for the A” was applied. Delta people had also gathered for the arrival and dedication and were all wearing commemorative T-shirts emblazoned with the same declaration.

Photo by Chris Rank for Delta Air Lines

Photo by Chris Rank for Delta Air Lines

Delta and its people have long stood with the Braves, their hometown baseball team. The airline has been carrying the team for 55 years, dating back to their arrival in Atlanta in 1966.

Over 25 years ago, Delta and its people celebrated the Braves’ last championship win publicly and proudly with a full-page ad in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday, Oct. 29, 1995. “Congratulations to the 1995 World Champion Atlanta Braves,” Delta said in the ad. “You’ve given us a season we’ll never forget.”

In 1996, the baseball postseason games featuring the Braves were shown live in flight on the Spirit of Delta, a Boeing 767 serving as a test aircraft for live television. According to the Delta Flight Museum, Delta was the first airline with live broadcast television programming that offered customers a new in-flight entertainment experience.

Photo caption: Passengers onboard Spirit of Delta watch a 1996 baseball postseason game featuring the Atlanta Braves live. Photo from Delta Archives.

In addition to the Braves, Delta also serves as the Official Airline for the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals.