Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian's Crisis Management Playbook

Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Ed Bastian talks with Alan Murray about his 10-year tenure at the helm. He details the strategic decisions that transformed Delta from a commodity airline into a premium brand, why he pushed the 100-year-old company to declare bankruptcy and how they managed to cut payroll by 50% during the Covid-19 pandemic without furloughing a single employee. Plus, Bastian reflects on the fallout from severing ties with the NRA in 2018—a leadership moment he says he has "no regrets" about. Recorded July 7, 2026.