Airline makes interim distribution of common stock to holders of allowed general unsecured claims
Jul 30, 2007
ATLANTA, July 30, 2007 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced it began distribution of approximately 21 million shares of Delta common stock to holders of allowed general unsecured claims against the company and certain of its subsidiaries, as outlined in the Plan of Reorganization. Delta and its subsidiaries emerged from Chapter 11 protection on April 30, 2007 under the Plan of Reorganization.
Following its emergence from Chapter 11, Delta distributed approximately 247 million shares of Delta common stock according to the company’s Plan of Reorganization. This initial distribution included approximately 230 million shares issued to Delta creditors and approximately 3 million shares to Comair creditors. Delta non-management non-contract employees also received approximately 14 million shares pursuant to the Plan.
The current distribution of Delta common stock, for claims settled after the initial distribution, includes approximately 18 million shares for delivery to Delta unsecured creditors and approximately 3 million shares for delivery to Comair unsecured creditors.
Once the current distribution is completed, Delta will have distributed approximately 268 million shares to holders of allowed and deemed general unsecured claims and non-management non-contract employees. Under the Plan, Delta will make a total distribution of 400 million shares.
With this distribution, holders of allowed general unsecured claims will have received common shares of the company to partially satisfy claims valued at approximately $11.4 billion. The company currently estimates its total unsecured claim exposure, including those that have been partially satisfied, to be approximately $15 billion (with approximately $13.95 billion in estimated Delta unsecured claims exposure and approximately $1.05 billion in estimated Comair unsecured claims exposure). The company currently holds approximately 132 million shares of Delta common stock in reserve to satisfy the remaining disputed unsecured claims (with approximately 111 million shares held in reserve for Delta disputed unsecured claims and approximately 21 million shares held in reserve for Comair disputed unsecured claims).
Distributions of additional Delta common stock will take place on periodically as remaining claims disputes are resolved. To the extent that disputed claims become disallowed claims, shares of Delta common stock reserved for holders of those claims eventually will be distributed pro rata to holders of allowed general unsecured claims.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 333 destinations in 57 countries. With more than 60 new international routes introduced in the last year, Delta has added more international capacity than all other U.S. airlines combined and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 36 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers nearly 700 weekly flights to more than 60 destinations. Delta’s marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on nearly 15,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 479 worldwide destinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
Statements in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections or strategies for the future, may be “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections and strategies reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the actions and decisions of our creditors and other third parties with continuing interests arising in connection with our Chapter 11 proceedings; the cost of aircraft fuel; the impact that our indebtedness will have on our financial and operating activities and our ability to incur additional debt; the restrictions that financial covenants in our financing agreements will have on our financial and business operations; labor issues; interruptions or disruptions in service at one of our hub airports; our increasing dependence on technology in our operations; our ability to retain management and key employees; the effects of terrorist attacks; and competitive conditions in the airline industry.
Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties that could cause differences between actual results and forward-looking statements is contained in Delta’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on Delta’s forward-looking statements, which represent Delta’s views only as of July 30, 2007, and which Delta has no current intention to update