Delta Air Lines announced a new agreement with Kyndryl Holdings to modernize its IT infrastructure. The airline aims to outsource the management of its critical systems, including crew rostering, crew scheduling, and maintenance documentation processes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires operators to comply with specific maintenance documentation for the aircraft and its operations.

Delta Air Lines

Delta is one of the three major airlines in the United States, serving over 325 destinations in 52 countries. As one of the oldest US airlines, Delta operates more than 4,000 flights using a diverse fleet of over 800 aircraft. Delta Air Lines is a founding member of the SkyTeam Airline Alliance. Founded in 1929, Delta Airlines is ranked first by revenue for commercially owned airline companies.

Kyndryl Holdings

Kyndryl is a global IT infrastructure that provides design, build, and information system management services to its clients. The company was created from the spin-off of IBM's infrastructure services business. Being separated from IBM in 2021, the company trades as an independent company on the New York Stock Exchange. Kyndryl aims to modernize IT infrastructure for global enterprises.

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A new agreement between Delta and Kyndryl

Delta Air Lines and Kyndryl extended a nearly 20-year partnership between the two entities. The new five-year partnership agreement enlists the modernization of core operating systems and innovations in customer experience. Kyndryl’s prior contract with Delta expired in December 2022, and negotiations had been underway for an extension of services.

Delta Boeing 767
Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying

The agreement is part of Delta’s long-term modernization initiative, including infrastructure, fleet, and IT services. According to Amy Salcido, President of Kyndryl US,

“Through our nearly twenty years of trusted collaboration, the Kyndryl team has a deep understanding of Delta’s business, and we are committed to helping them stay one step ahead and deliver the best possible air travel experiences.” – Amy Salcido, President, Kyndryl.

The infrastructure upgrade for Delta becomes ever more important after the recent IT crisis faced by Southwest Airlines. The infrastructure crisis at Southwest led to thousands of stranded passengers, costing the company over $800 million. More recently, the January failure in the FAA’s NOTAM system further emphasized the infrastructure improvements at Delta.

While the financial details of the agreement are unknown, Delta Air Lines relies on robust IT infrastructure to manage their diverse flight operations. According to Rahul Samant, Chief Information Officer at Delta,

“Delta relies on IT infrastructure for managing more than 4,000 daily flights across its global network.” – Rahul Samant, CIO, Delta.

Kyndryl already provides IT services to Delta that cover its customer relations, rebooking systems, and loyalty programs. Most of the services provided by Kyndryl facilitate Delta when rebooking passengers for delayed or canceled flights.

N930DZ Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-932(ER) (1)
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

With the new extended partnership, Kyndryl will continue to provide IT and management services for various critical systems at Delta. Delta aims to reduce operating costs by investing in robust infrastructure and enterprise services.

What are your thoughts on Delta Air Lines’ five-year infrastructure extension deal with Kyndryl? Tell us in the comments section.

Source: infotechLead