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1960's Through 1970's

Delta added jet airliners to its fleet in the 1960s, following the purchase of the Douglas DC-8 that entered service in 1959. Delta's new red, white, and blue triangle logo (the "widget") which began appearing on Delta's aircraft at that time was a representation of the jet's swept wing. Its fleet grew with the addition in 1960 of Convair 880s (they set a coast-to-coast record of just over three hours) and in 1965, the DC-9. Delta became an all-jet airline in 1970.

Delta purchased Northeast Airlines in 1972 to strengthen its market share in the northeastern United States.

Delta launched its cargo service Delta Air Express in 1975.

1980's

Delta launched its first frequent flyer program in 1981 which became the SkyMiles program in 1995. In 1983, Delta took delivery of its first Boeing 767-200, named the Spirit of Delta, which was paid for "by voluntary contributions from employees, retirees and Delta's community partners." The effort, called Project 767, was spearheaded by three Delta flight attendants to show the employees' appreciation to Delta for solid management and strong leadership during the first years following airline deregulation." The airplane remained in the Delta fleet until 2006, and was repainted in a commemorative paint scheme and toured the country to celebrate the airline's 75th anniversary in 2004.