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Delta Air Lines Pension Fund
The Delta Air Lines Pension Fund was established to administer defined-benefit plans for multiple employee groups at the airline. Jonathan Glidden serves as...
Delta Air Lines Pension Fund
The Delta Air Lines Pension Fund was established to administer defined-benefit plans for multiple employee groups at the airline. Jonathan Glidden serves as Chief Investment Officer and has directed the portfolio since the turnaround period. The fund holds a timberland portfolio valued at $1.4 billion and commits to real-asset vehicles including the Harrison Street Real Estate Capital Fund and the Towers Watson Investment Management Secure Income Fund. It also maintains limited-partner positions in Zeal Capital Partners Fund II, Macquarie Asset Management and Hancock Timber Resource Group. Geographic exposure centers on the United States with additional holdings in global infrastructure and aviation-related equities. Assets total $16 billion as of late 2024. The fund employs Willis Towers Watson as investment advisor and Northern Trust as custodian. In November 2024 Glidden appeared on the Capital Allocators Podcast to discuss the turnaround and portable alpha implementation. The Delta Air Lines Foundation, established in 1968, handles separate philanthropic activity focused on education and health. The fund operates under the direct sponsorship of Delta Air Lines, Inc., which supplies ongoing contributions and aligns certain sustainability mandates with plan investments. Governance includes board participation in the Committee on the Investment of Employee Benefit Assets.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1925
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Atlanta
Principals
Jonathan Glidden
Chief Investment Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Delta Air Lines Pension Fund?
Jonathan Glidden serves as Chief Investment Officer and directs asset allocation and manager selection.
Does Delta Air Lines Pension Fund participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The fund acts as a limited partner in multiple commingled vehicles and holds select public equities reported in 13F filings.
What asset classes receive the largest allocations?
Timberland, real estate and infrastructure vehicles form core real-asset holdings alongside public equity positions in aviation-related companies.
How is the fund related to Delta Air Lines, Inc.?
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is the plan sponsor and provides ongoing contributions to the pension fund.
Which service providers support the fund's operations?
Willis Towers Watson acts as investment advisor and Northern Trust serves as custodian.
What is the fund's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
The fund maintains limited-partner commitments to external managers rather than direct co-investments.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
Assets derive from contributions by Delta Air Lines, Inc. and investment returns on behalf of covered employees.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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