Delta CEO Announces Job Growth Plan After Meeting With Trump

Delta Air Lines has announced plans to hire as many as 25,000 workers over the next five years.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement Thursday that the Atlanta-based company is growing its ranks as it expands and upgrades its hubs at several of the nation's airports. Bastian's statement was released after he and other airline CEOs met with President Donald Trump at the White House.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the 25,000 figure includes a combination of growth and backfilling attrition, but Delta didn't specify the breakdown. Delta currently has about 80,000 employees.

Likely referring to competition from Middle East carriers, who receive subsidies from their governments, Bastian said the hiring could be contingent on the support of the government in establishing “a level playing field."