Delta Air Lines announced a slate of leadership changes on March 5, 2026, promoting a new president, naming a new chief operating officer and chief financial officer, and installing a new chief marketing and product officer, with the moves tied in part to the planned retirement of longtime operations leader John Laughter at the end of April.
Delta said it has promoted Peter Carter to President and elevated Dan Janki to Chief Operating Officer as part of the broader leadership reorganization the carrier said will strengthen its executive team and support long-term growth.
Delta disclosed the changes in a memo CEO Ed Bastian sent to employees. Bastian said the updates reflect Delta’s “deep bench of talent” and aim to reinforce the company’s culture and alignment as it plans for future growth.
Carter, a longtime Delta executive, will take on a larger role while continuing to oversee global policy and legal matters. Delta said his expanded duties includes the airline’s international portfolio, real estate, and sustainability and diversity teams, along with driving enterprise strategy. Bastian credited Carter with leading initiatives across the company during his decade at Delta and described him as a source of strategic insight and long-term vision.
Delta tied several of the moves to the retirement of Laughter, Executive Vice President, Chief of Operations and President of Delta TechOps. Delta said Laughter will retire effective April 30, concluding a career of more than three decades that began in TechOps as an aircraft liaison engineer. Bastian called Laughter an exceptional leader and advocate for Delta’s people-focused culture.
With Laughter’s retirement, Janki will transition from Chief Financial Officer to Chief Operating Officer. Delta said Janki will oversee all aspects of the airline’s operation, including Airport Customer Service, Flight Operations, In-Flight Service, the Operations and Customer Center, Reservation Sales and Customer Care, Technical Operations, and Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance. Bastian noted Janki has shown operational depth and disciplined focus in the CFO role and argued that consolidating operating units under his leadership will improve alignment and coordination.
Delta also expanded responsibilities for Alain Bellemare, Executive Vice President and President of International, who will add the role of Chairman of Delta TechOps. Delta said Bellemare’s experience and industry relationships position him to support the TechOps organization.