LOS ANGELES – Delta Air Lines and its partner Aeromexico have been named the official airline partners for the MLS expansion team, the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). The partnership promises to deliver premier fan experiences and community engagement at the new, highly-anticipated 22,000-seat Banc of California stadium and will provide transportation as the team travels to away matches in 2018 and beyond. The partnership also includes category exclusivity, community outreach, fan engagement, integrated interior and exterior digital signage, as well as content.

”From day one, our two organizations have shared in a collective vision for and commitment to Los Angeles,” said LAFC Club President Tom Penn. “We are proud to partner with an industry leader, and look forward to elevating the LAFC experience for both our fans and players with Delta and Aeromexico by our side.”

“Delta’s story is one of dreaming big and having the drive and determination to bring those dreams to life, including building a better L.A.,” said Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s Vice President – Sales, West. “Together with Aeromexico, as a supporter of LAFC from the beginning, we look forward to helping make this dream a reality and building LA’s next storied sports franchise as LAFC prepares for its inaugural season in 2018.”

Delta will serve not only as the team’s official airline, but also as a marquee founding-level original supporter and member of the “Golden-Boot Club” partnership platform. The partnership also includes sponsorship of pre-game player walkouts, both interior and exterior rotational digital LED signage at the new stadium, and airline transportation for LAFC both to and from away matches.

“Delta Air Lines embodies all of the core attributes we look for in a partner as both an industry leader and an iconic global brand, while representing a common aspiration for Los Angeles,” said Jamie Guin, Senior Vice President – Corporate Partnerships, LAFC.

The partnership with LAFC is an extension of Delta’s Dream Up, L.A. campaign that launched in 2016 and expands Delta’s partnerships in Los Angeles, which include serving as the Official Airline of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Kings, STAPLES Center, UCLA and the Rose Bowl. To launch the partnership, LAFC and Delta created a video campaign that brings to life their collective vision that can be viewed at LAFC.com/delta.

This announcement marks the first major development of what promises to be an exciting 2017 for LAFC. Last year, the Club reached several key milestones, including kicking off the year with the official crest and Club color unveiling for fans and city leaders; scoring a tremendous victory for the Club, its fans and the people of Los Angeles by securing unanimous approval from the Los Angeles City Council on the stadium’s Final Environmental Impact Report; embarking on a historic groundbreaking ceremony with hundreds of Club supporters; announcing its official stadium naming rights, Banc of California stadium; completion of demolition of the Sports Arena and commencing construction with the first of many foundational concrete pours; and proudly announcing a multi-year partnership with United Soccer League’s Orange County Blues FC in order to further enhance professional player development and create a pipeline for players who show promise to join the LAFC team.

Delta and Aeromexico launched their first codeshare in 1994. In 2015, the airlines announced a historic agreement to establish the largest trans-border alliance between Mexico and the United States, benefitting customers of both airlines. When the Joint Cooperation Agreement closes, Delta and Aeromexico will be the largest provider of service between LAX and Mexico. Customers will have access to a combined route network of more than 1,000 weekly flights between Mexico and the U.S., including more than 100 weekly flights between LAX and nine destinations in Mexico.

Since 2009, Delta has been the fastest-growing carrier at LAX, more than doubling its number of seats and growing from 70 daily departures to more than 175. In 2016, Delta announced a $1.9 billion plan to modernize, upgrade and connect Terminals 2 and 3 at LAX over the next seven years, as well as to provide a secure connector to the north side of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, enabling Delta to build a premier space for its LAX operations alongside its airline partners. In April, the airline will launch daily nonstop service to Washington – Reagan Airport, and Delta’s partner Virgin Australia will begin service five days per week to Melbourne. In partnership with Virgin Atlantic, we will launch a third daily roundtrip flight on a Boeing 787-9 between LAX and London-Heathrow beginning this summer. Delta’s nearly 4,000 L.A.-based employees are deeply integrated into the community, supporting organizations near and dear to the hearts of Angelenos, including AIDS Walk Los Angeles, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Covenant House California, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, Junior Achievement of Southern California, KaBOOM!, L.A. Regional Food Bank, and The Motion Picture and Television Fund, among many others.