As Vice President of Asia Pacific at Delta Air Lines, Jeff Moomaw has propelled the brand to greater heights through international collaboration, establishing the first Taipei-Seattle route and leading a joint venture with Korean Air. Moomaw first joined Delta in 2005 as part of its sales team, after which he served as Managing Director in the UK, overseeing a successful joint venture with Virgin Atlantic.

Moomaw holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering from Michigan State University, where he later returned to complete his MBA. He is currently based in Seoul.

TOPICS Associate Editor Alex Myslinski met with Moomaw at the Ghost Island Media recording studio in June to discuss product innovation, robust global networks, and feedback-inspired leadership. An abridged version of their conversation follows. Listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

You decided to complete both your undergraduate studies and your MBA at Michigan State University. What was it about living and studying in East Lansing that made you want to return?

My time at Michigan State was a mix of rigorous and memorable experiences. Riding a bicycle two miles to class in the heavy snow with the bitingly cold wind in my face was brutal. However, I have many fond memories of bonding with my teammates, having been offered a scholarship for gymnastics. All in all, I learned a lot about teamwork and diversity there. Students from all over the world are enrolled at Michigan State, which prepared me for the career I’m in now and the lifestyle I live.

You’ve worked in the aviation industry for 20 years. How has the industry changed over the years? What’s stayed the same?

Twenty years ago, airline seats were thought of as a commodity, and purchasing decisions were based mainly on the price and schedule. There’s since been a growing appetite for more premium, unique, and differentiated experiences. In response we’re not only opening the new Delta One lounges as a top-tier luxury for business class-flying customers but also expanding seating options for our Seattle-Taipei service.

Instead of just having business and economy class, new selections provide more legroom, premium meals and amenity kits, and priority boarding capabilities. Digital experiences are also increasingly important for airline passengers, so 85% of all service transactions can now be done on our app.
What hasn’t changed is the desire to travel, both for leisure and business. You really can’t replace a face-to-face meeting and other in-person experiences – a face on a screen just doesn’t compare.

During your time in London, you worked on Delta’s joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. What did that experience teach you?

The challenge with airlines is their independence and pride in their unique customer experiences. Our goal was to ensure seamless travel for customers connecting between airlines, which required deeply integrated relationships with our partners.

We brought a team over to London to integrate with Virgin Atlantic and achieved remarkable outcomes. We created a seamless experience while preserving each airline’s brand and customer service.
The joint venture with Virgin Atlantic helped to lay the foundation for our collaboration with Korean Air. Behind the scenes, our airline staff work closely to monitor and resolve any issues without altering our distinct approach to a traveler’s journey.

Delta Air Lines’ APAC headquarters is located in Seoul. What’s the reason for choosing this location?
To truly serve a global population, you have to have partners who have a robust network and know local customs, needs, and regulations. Korean Air was a match made in heaven with its network and fantastic connecting facility at Incheon International Airport.

If you are connecting through one airport to fly to another, we typically avoid selling itineraries with less than an hour for connections to prevent misconnections. Despite its size, Incheon is able to offer a 45-minute minimum connection. It’s very rare to see this type of efficiency in aviation.
Most importantly, we look for partners that are dedicated to customer service. With Korean Air, we connect 2,000 passengers each way a day at Incheon and have some of the best customer experience scores you could ask for.

How does having a sales background help you in your current role?

An invaluable lesson I picked up is “listen, act, listen again.” I apply this phrase to customers and employees alike. To me, a good leader intentionally goes out of their way to help people feel heard, encouraging them to say what’s on their mind while providing fundamental feedback.

At Delta, we call this our “virtuous circle.” It starts with treating your employees well and giving them the tools, training, and anything else they need to do their jobs. Well-supported employees will take even better care of your customers, who further engage with stakeholders through continued purchases.

Delta launched a new direct Taipei-Seattle route in June. Why did you decide to launch flights to Taipei now?

We’ve seen that the demand is here, and Taipei is a great aviation hub. If there’s a demand for any of our routes, we start to put the aircraft in place. GDP growth across Asia has also been strong, and we believe the forward outlook will remain strong.

Taipei and Seattle have many close correlations through their innovative cultures, shared values, and corporate traffic. We felt this was the perfect opportunity to bridge the two cities and facilitate face-to-face exchanges. Regarding corporate traffic, we’ve seen a rising number of travelers deciding to extend their trips to add a leisure component to business travel.

You’ve been based in South Korea for nearly two years, and you previously worked in the UK. What is your experience like living and working abroad?

Experiencing different cultures firsthand broadens your perspective immensely. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and didn’t fly until I was 17. Living abroad, even in an English-speaking country like the UK, was at least twice as challenging as staying in my home country.

Being away from friends and family is tough, and living in Asia is even more difficult due to the greater distance. However, there’s no better way to broaden your horizons and benefit from new friendships and cultures that teach you so much. If more people experienced this, I believe the world would be more understanding.

How would you pitch the aviation industry to someone looking to start a career?

It’s an easy pitch – if you’d like to travel the world and work in an industry that’s dynamic and challenging but rewarding, it’s hard to find anything better than aviation. Picture getting off work, and instead of driving home, you decide to hop on a flight to wherever you want. Aviation is heaven for those with a real lust for travel.

You’re going to love it even more if you like competition. Airlines are fiercely competitive, a rallying cry for those driven by the excitement of staying ahead in a fast-paced environment. Whether navigating the skies or strategizing on the ground, the constant pursuit of excellence and innovation makes every day an adventure.

What qualities are important to being successful in your industry?

In our industry, we act as ambassadors of sorts, not just for our airline but also for the country in which we operate. Showing deep respect and understanding for any culture allows people to feel welcome in every destination we connect travelers with.

You will also need to be patient because not everyone will see eye to eye with you. Success in the airline industry comes from building relationships with folks from very different backgrounds by knowing how to find common ground and understanding how you can grow together.

Courage is another major asset in our industry. Charting your path can be intimidating but gives you a well-rounded experience. Moving from place to place both geographically and within the company requires both courage and support from management and teammates.

The pandemic served as a stark reminder of how unforeseen disasters can significantly impact industries. How does your industry prepare for, manage, and respond to such unpredictable challenges?

During the pandemic, I made sure to do the right things at the right time. As an employee-first company, we never furloughed a single employee or involuntarily let anyone go.

Since we had already invested billions of dollars in terminal renovations across the United States, we had a choice to either abandon or accelerate those projects. We chose to accelerate because the airports weren’t full, and we ultimately shaved a year and a half off the timeline.

Delta was the last airline that blocked the middle seat through the duration of Covid, a safety-focused decision that also improved loyalty among our customer base. Many of those boosted cleanliness protocols are still in place today.

It’s crucial to actively learn a lot of lessons during an event like Covid. Although we deeply hope something like this won’t happen again, we’ve cultivated a sound knowledge base to help us through the next one.

There’s recently been some discussion over aviation safety online and in the media. How is Delta ensuring the safety of its passengers and planes?

Let me reiterate that air travel is very safe – in fact, it’s the safest form of travel.

For Delta, safety has and will always be our top priority. Whether our crew or staff have been with the airline for 40 years or 40 days, each of our 100,000 employees undergo robust training exercises. And no matter your role in the company, each employee is empowered to halt operations if they notice something that appears unsafe. After experiencing an incident during which someone showed courage and stopped the operation, we openly celebrate that dedication to safety.

How do you relax and unwind?

I relax with my family. I’ve got my wife and 10-year-old daughter with me in Seoul. If you can believe it, we find travel peaceful and love traveling throughout Southeast Asia together – Cambodia is one of our favorite spots. We try to travel as often as possible because it allows us to get out of the office and into the world. For me, there’s no better way to unwind.