Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
HIRST RICHARD B
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
DELTA AIR LINES INC /DE/ [DAL] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
SVP & GC
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O DELTA AIR LINES, INC., DEPT. 981, P.O. BOX 20574		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
10/29/2008
(Street)

ATLANTA, GA 30320		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
common stock 10/29/2008   A   89,816 (1) A (1) 89,816 D  
common stock 10/29/2008   A   128,650 (1) A (1) 218,466 D  
common stock 10/29/2008   F   41,247 (2) D $ 7.99 177,219 D  
common stock 10/29/2008   A   145,000 (4) A (4) 322,219 D  

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy) $ 14.15 (3) 10/29/2008   A   82,259 (3)   10/29/2008 09/30/2017 common stock 82,259 (3) 82,259 D  
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy) $ 7.99 10/29/2008   A   145,000     (4) 10/28/2018 common stock 145,000 (4) 145,000 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
HIRST RICHARD B
C/O DELTA AIR LINES, INC., DEPT. 981
P.O. BOX 20574
ATLANTA, GA 30320		       SVP & GC  

Signatures

 Nanci Oliver Sloan as attorney-in-fact for Richard B. Hirst   10/31/2008
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Represents shares of Delta common stock acquired upon conversion of shares of Northwest Airlines Corporation ("Northwest") common stock and Northwest restricted stock units as a result of the merger between Nautilus Merger Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta, and Northwest (the "Merger"). This acquisition was approved by Delta's Board of Directors and is exempt from Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 under Rule 16b-3(d).
(2) Represents shares withheld to pay tax withholding obligations to appropriate taxing authorities from the conversion of Northwest restricted stock units as a result of the Merger. This withholding was approved by Delta's Board of Directors and is exempt from Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 under Section 16b-3(d)(1) and Rule 16b-3(e).
(3) Represents acquisition of stock options covering shares of Delta common stock upon conversion of stock options covering shares of Northwest common stock as a result of the Merger. This acquisition was approved by Delta's Board of Directors and is exempt from Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 under Rule 16b-3(d).
(4) In connection with the Merger, the Personnel & Compensation Committee of Delta's Board of Directors granted merger awards consisting of restricted stock and stock options to Delta officers, including the Reporting Person, in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3(d). Subject to the Reporting Person's continued employment, the restricted stock vests, and the stock options become exercisable, over a three year period as follows: with respect to 20% of the shares on each of May 1, 2009, November 1, 2009, and May 1, 2010, and with respect to the remaining 40% of the shares on November 1, 2011. The exercise price of the stock option is the closing price of the common stock on the NYSE on October 29, 2008.

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