No, Delta Air Lines doesn’t regret its move to cut ties with the National Rifle Association. Yes, it appears willing to work on its now-rocky relationship with Lt. Gov Casey Cagle should the Republican win the governor’s race this fall.
Those were two takeaways from Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s comments at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington on Wednesday.
More than four months after his company's move to end a discount for NRA members prompted Cagle to spearhead a fight in the Legislature to strip the airline of $40 million in jet fuel tax breaks, Bastian said he still stands by his decision.
“We’re not going to change our values” based on political pressures, said Bastian.
He added this about his company’s fight with the Georgia Legislature following the Parkland shootings in February:
"I'm not looking to be a social activist as a CEO. I want to be the best airline CEO in the world and run the very best airline in the world. But when you have your values and you have your culture and you know who you are and what you stand for … there are times that you're called to speak, and those are the moments. That was a moment for us."
But Bastian also indicated Delta was willing to turn over a new leaf with Cagle should he win the governor’s race this year:
"We'll be supportive of the state. That's home for Delta. There's a lot of topics on a lot of issues that we have a lot of debate around with our government here in Washington as well as in Georgia and other parts of the world. If Casey is the governor, we will certainly do our very best to support him in the role and will want him to succeed.
Not that long ago, Delta and Cagle were pals.
The Atlanta-based company had contributed more than $20,000 to the Republican's campaigns over the last 12 years, including $4,000 to his gubernatorial bid. But after the NRA fight, Cagle promised to "kill" any tax legislation benefiting Delta "unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship" with the NRA.
Watch Bastian’s comments below. His comments on the NRA fight begin at roughly the 13:40 mark and Cagle around 15:45:
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