Delta COO Mike Spanos to Exit After Over a Year

Delta Air Lines' Chief Operating Officer, Mike Spanos, will leave the company at the end of the month after just over a year in the role. Spanos, who joined Delta in May 2023, had previously held leadership positions at Six Flags and PepsiCo. His departure follows a significant operational disruption due to a CrowdStrike cyber outage, which resulted in the cancellation of 7,000 flights over five days and an estimated $500 million loss for the airline.

CEO Ed Bastian confirmed that Spanos had expressed interest in pursuing other opportunities earlier this summer. In response to Spanos's departure, Delta does not plan to appoint a new COO. Instead, John Laughter, chief of operations and president of Delta's TechOps maintenance-and-overhaul unit, and Allison Ausband, chief customer experience officer, will report directly to Bastian. Bastian acknowledged Spanos's contributions to maintaining Delta's leading position and noted significant reductions in worker injuries during his tenure.