Delta Airlines CEO plans to expand jobs in Northeast Minnesota

The chief executive of Delta Air Lines told the Mesabi Daily News in Virginia, Minn. that the company plans to add jobs at the carrier's reservation center in Chisholm. It currently has about 500 full-time employees.

“We want to do more investment in the facility ... expand and continue to grow," CEO Richard Anderson said in a telephone interview Saturday from Delta’s Atlanta headquarters. "We’re in the process of hiring more right now.”

Anderson was on the Iron Range Thursday to spend time with employees at the reservation center, which belonged to Northwest Airlines before Delta acquired Northwest in 2008. He said that he and former state Sen. Doug Johnson of Tower talked about “re-upping another long-term agreement” for more jobs at the center.

Anderson said the growth of Internet reservation services won't reduce the importance of the Iron Range operation because it's an important part of Delta's SkyMiles program.