Dive Brief:

• Delta Airlines veteran Erik Snell will step into the role of CFO effective April 1, one of several changes the airline is making to its executive leadership team — both by adding additional responsibilities to the remit of some executives and tapping internal successors for new roles, according to a Thursday press release and securities filing.  
• Snell will succeed Daniel C. Jenki in the Atlanta, Ga.-based airline’s top finance seat, according to the press release, while Jenki will move into the role of chief operating officer, also effective April 1. Jenki, who has served as Delta’s CFO since 2021, is taking on the operational role with the retirement of Delta’s Chief of Operations and President of Delta TechOps John Laughter, who will be departing after a 30-year career at the airline.
• Delta CEO Ed Bastian noted that as CFO, Jenki has “shown the operational depth and disciplined focus that drive the world‑class performance our people, customers and investors expect,” he said in a statement included in the release. “Bringing our operating units together under his leadership will further strengthen alignment and coordination across our team, which is critical to succeeding in our fast‑paced, dynamic environment."

Dive Insight:

In other leadership reshufflings, Delta announced Peter Carter will take the role of president for the airline also effective April 1. Carter most recently served as Delta’s chief external affairs officer beginning in October 2022, after serving as its chief legal officer beginning in July 2015, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company also appointed Ranjan Goswami, its SVP of customer experience, to chief marketing and product officer, succeeding Alicia Tillman who has decided to “pursue broader leadership opportunities” outside of the airline, according to the press release. Meanwhile, Alain Bellemare, its EVP and President, International, will assume additional responsibilities chairman for Delta TechOps.

In their respective new roles, Carter, Goswami, Janki and Snell will report directly to Bastian, according to the press release.  

Incoming CFO Snell has held numerous roles during his two decades at the airline, having most recently served as its EVP and chief customer experience officer since January 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile. He previously served in roles including SVP, airport operations and customer service and SVP, OCC, operations analytics and development for the airline. Before Delta, he served as a portfolio manager for SunTrust Bank.

“Erik brings a comprehensive understanding of Delta's operations and frontline employees to the Finance organization with keen analytical skills that will further boost our financial effectiveness and shared success," Bastian said in the release.

The newly-minted CFO and fellow C-suite leaders will take the helm as Delta, alongside the wider aviation and travel industries, aim to navigate the impact of the war with Iran. Delta has canceled flights between New York and Tel Aviv through March 22, according to a post on its website, joining airlines including Emirates, Lufthansa Group and dozens of other airlines which have paused flights to the Middle East during the past week. The number of global flight cancellations to Middle East hubs has exceeded 23,000 during that time, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Rising oil prices have also contributed to a spike in jet fuel, with disruptions of petroleum shipments due to the conflict seeing the price of crude jump by 12%, according to a research note published Thursday by Morningstar. With fuel accounting for approximately 20% to 25% of airline unit costs, Morningstar expects to see the spike in costs impact airline profitability.

Delta has moved to execute on a long-term fleet strategy which aims to improve its fuel efficiency and costs, involving both retiring old aircraft and “building scale across our fleet types,” Jenki in his role as CFO said Jan. 13 during the company’s earnings call for its Q4 and full-year 2025, according to a transcript.

For the full-year, Delta reported a 7% year-over-year drop in adjusted fuel expense to $9.8 billion, while adjusted fuel price of $2.30 per galleon declined by 10% year-over-year, according to its earnings results.