Georgia › Transportation and warehousing › 25,000 or more participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025
Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Contract Employees
Sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Inc., Atlanta, GA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Contract Employees is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia. For the plan year ending 30 Sep 2025 it reported 42,802 participants, 6,366 of them active, and net assets of $3.95B.
Net assets came to $92,345 per participant, close to the $88,040 median for defined benefit plans with 25,000 or more participants and close to the $94,853 median for defined benefit plans in transportation and warehousing. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $13.9M for the year ($2,189 per active participant) and benefits paid were $280M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $384K: $8.97 per participant, well below the same-size median of $143. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $2.2M. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $1.82B in 2009 to $3.95B in 2024 (up 117%), and participants from 48,972 to 42,802 (down 13%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $92,345 | $88,040 | $94,853 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,189 | $6,524 | $12,821 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $8.97 | $143 | $425 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.01% | 0.26% | 0.43% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $51.36 | $306 | $650 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 25,000 or more participants (215 plans), transportation and warehousing (227) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 42,802 | $3.95B | $92,345 | $13.9M | — | $384K |
| 2023 | 43,324 | $3.84B | $88,748 | $21.2M | — | $1.1M |
| 2022 | 43,994 | $3.52B | $79,998 | — | — | $1.5M |
| 2021 | 44,518 | $3.58B | $80,384 | — | — | $80K |
| 2020 | 44,929 | $4.50B | $100,112 | — | — | $1.2M |
| 2019 | 45,449 | $3.89B | $85,696 | $415M | — | $724K |
| 2018 | 45,997 | $3.60B | $78,308 | $240M | — | $1.2M |
| 2016 | 46,670 | $3.33B | $71,317 | $160M | — | $1.3M |
| 2015 | 46,534 | $3.10B | $66,544 | $903M | — | $1.3M |
| 2014 | 46,939 | $2.23B | $47,544 | $270M | — | $70K |
| 2013 | 47,216 | $2.26B | $47,769 | $252M | — | $1.5M |
| 2012 | 47,509 | $2.04B | $42,892 | $143M | — | $5.0M |
| 2011 | 48,254 | $1.94B | $40,227 | $141M | — | $4.5M |
| 2010 | 48,769 | $1.80B | $36,878 | $129M | — | $3.3M |
| 2009 | 48,972 | $1.82B | $37,265 | $110M | — | $3.5M |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$3,844,940,138
- Employer contributions$13,934,349
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$13,934,349
- Total income, including investment results$389,484,839
- Benefits paid$279,683,407
- Administrative expenses$2,198,464
- Total expenses$281,881,871
- Net income$107,602,968
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$3,952,543,106
Participants
- Active participants6,366
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits24,117
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits10,275
- Total participants, end of year42,802
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduent | Contract Administrator | $229,608 | $0 |
| Willis Towers Watson | Actuarial | $125,142 | $0 |
| BDO USA, P.C. | Accounting (including auditing) | $29,143 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Other administrative expenses$1,523,784
- Contract administrator fees$519,834
- Actuarial fees$125,142
- IQPA audit fees$29,143
- Legal fees$561
- Total administrative expenses$2,198,464
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Master trust investment accounts$3.95B · 99.9%
- Receivables$4.5M · 0.1%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmBDO USA, P.C.
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $25,000,000
- Blackout period during the year—
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1BBenefits are primarily flat dollar (includes dollars per year of service)1IFrozen plan3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 481000: Air Transportation.
Other plans of Delta Air Lines, Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Delta 401(k) Retirement Plan | 112,027 | $19.0B |
| Delta Retirement Plan | 81,907 | $7.25B |
| Delta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Pilots | 17,776 | $15.9B |
| Delta Air Lines, Inc. Market Based Cash Balance Plan | 14,972 | $357M |
| Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Pilot Employees | 7,452 | $4.51B |
| Delta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Seasonal Employees | 5,942 | $42.5M |
| Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Salaried Employees | 4,175 | $219M |
| Delta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Subsidiaries | 1,460 | $114M |
Similar plans in Georgia
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Retirement Plan | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | 81,907 | $7.25B | $88,455 |
| Delta Air Lines, Inc. Market Based Cash Balance Plan | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | 14,972 | $357M | $23,823 |
| Ups/ibt Full-Time Employee Pension Plan | Board of Trustees of the Ups/ibt Full-Time Pension Plan | 102,332 | $12.2B | $119,410 |
| Ryder System, Inc. Retirement Plan | Ryder System, Inc. | 12,667 | $1.21B | $95,770 |
| Local 804 I.B.T. and Local 447 I.A.M. - UPS Multi-Employer Retirement Plan | BD of Trustees Loc. 804 & Loc. 447 Multi-Employer Ret. Plan | 12,427 | $2.34B | $188,179 |
| United Parcel Service, Inc. Local 177, I.b.t Multi-Employer Retirement Plan | BD of Trustees, UPS Local 177, Ibt Multi Employer Retirement Plan | 9,288 | $2.00B | $215,116 |
Defined benefit plans in transportation and warehousing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Contract Employees?
42,802 participants at the end of the plan year ending 30 Sep 2025, of whom 6,366 were active employees, with net assets of $3,952,543,106. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 25,000 or more participants band, which held 215 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Delta Air Lines, Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $13,934,349 in employer contributions for the year, which is $2,189 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $6,524 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $383,893 in compensation to service provider organisations, $8.97 per participant or 0.01% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $143 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $2,198,464. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Delta Air Lines, Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Conduent. The financial statements were audited by BDO USA, P.C.. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 25 Jun 2026. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 58-0218548, plan 016, received 25 Jun 2026; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.