ATLANTA and DETROIT, Sept. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines' (NYSE: DAL) annual "Breast Cancer One" employee survivor charter flight launches today, kicking off the airline's October fundraising campaign for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and celebrating the organization's two decades of dedication to preventing and finding a cure for breast cancer.

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"Twenty years ago Evelyn Lauder created the iconic Pink Ribbon to raise international awareness of breast cancer, and in those years BCRF has helped save lives and improve the quality of care for tens of thousands of breast cancer patients," said Joanne Smith, Delta's senior vice president – In-Flight Service. "We are so proud that Delta, with our employees, customers and families, has been a significant sponsor for nearly half of the foundation's history, and that our 'Pink Plane' has helped spread BCRF's message worldwide."

Delta's Pink Plane, a Boeing 767-400, will fly from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport with more than 140 employee cancer survivors from locations around the world. It marks Delta's ninth annual BCRF survivor flight.

In addition to the pink plane, throughout October Delta's administrative building at its general offices in Atlanta will be illuminated in pink lighting in support of BCRF. To further raise awareness and support for breast cancer research, Delta employees will wear pink uniforms and sell pink products on board and in Delta Sky Clubs, including pink lemonade and pink headsets, All proceeds benefit BCRF.

Since 2005, Delta's employees, customers and their friends and families have raised $6.7 million for the foundation, with more than $1.75 million raised last year alone. Delta's contributions have funded the vital work of 18 different research projects over the years in the pursuit of eradicating breast cancer.

Delta's "Pink Plane"Delta's international "pink plane," a Boeing 767-400 featuring BCRF's trademarked pink ribbon logo on the tail of the aircraft and adjacent to the boarding door, has carried nearly 395,000 customers and flown more than 15,500 hours – or approximately 1,900 trips around the world – since being painted pink in May 2010. The aircraft flies international routes and will raise awareness for BCRF in London, Milan, Rio De Janiero, Sao Paulo and the United States this year. Delta's first pink plane was a Boeing 757 that between 2005 and 2010 flew throughout the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean to generate awareness for the cause.

Last year, Delta dedicated the aircraft to the memory of Ms. Lauder in a ceremony in New York attended by her husband, Leonard Lauder, BCRF Acting Chairman and Chairman Emeritus of The Estee Lauder Companies, as well as BCRF staff.

More information about the charitable efforts of Delta and its employees is available in the company's annual Corporate Responsibility Report.

About The Breast Cancer Research FoundationThe Breast Cancer Research Foundation®, founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993, is an independent not-for-profit organization committed to funding scientific research to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime. In October 2012, BCRF will award $40 million to 197 scientists across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and China. With 91 cents of every dollar spent by BCRF directed towards breast cancer research and awareness programs, BCRF remains one of the most fiscally responsible charities in the country. For the tenth time since 2002, it has earned 4 stars from Charity Navigator. Additionally, BCRF is the only cancer organization rated an "A+" by CharityWatch. For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.

About DeltaDelta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Delta was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2013 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list, topping the list for the second time in three years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 317 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta is investing more than $3 billion in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta and Facebook.com/delta.

SOURCE Delta Air Lines

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