Georgia › Transportation and warehousing › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025
Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Salaried 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.
In the plan year ending 30 Sep 2025, Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Salaried Employees covered 4,175 participants and held $219M in net assets. The plan is a cash balance pension plan sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia.
Net assets came to $52,542 per participant, well below the $87,935 median for defined benefit plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well below 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 $2.3M for the year ($4,199 per active participant) and benefits paid were $17.4M. 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 $172K: $41.19 per participant, well below the same-size median of $325. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $821K. 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 $152M in 2009 to $219M in 2024 (up 45%), and participants from 6,791 to 4,175 (down 39%).
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 | $52,542 | $87,935 | $94,853 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $4,199 | $10,593 | $12,821 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $41.19 | $325 | $425 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.08% | 0.41% | 0.43% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $197 | $513 | $650 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (1,540 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 | 4,175 | $219M | $52,543 | $2.3M | — | $172K |
| 2023 | 4,279 | $214M | $50,105 | $2.8M | — | $213K |
| 2022 | 4,409 | $197M | $44,701 | — | — | $245K |
| 2021 | 4,511 | $206M | $45,746 | — | — | $73K |
| 2020 | 4,606 | $272M | $58,953 | — | — | $209K |
| 2018 | 5,237 | $276M | $52,642 | $30.0M | — | $212K |
| 2017 | 5,357 | $255M | $47,511 | $10.0M | — | $211K |
| 2016 | 5,465 | $261M | $47,798 | $20.0M | — | $223K |
| 2015 | 5,510 | $241M | $43,743 | $124M | — | $181K |
| 2014 | 5,721 | $137M | $23,905 | $31.6M | — | $66K |
| 2013 | 5,845 | $138M | $23,661 | $28.9M | — | $105K |
| 2012 | 5,956 | $123M | $20,711 | $20.6M | — | $843K |
| 2011 | 6,234 | $129M | $20,716 | $19.5M | — | $716K |
| 2010 | 6,568 | $131M | $19,964 | $16.9M | — | $685K |
| 2009 | 6,791 | $152M | $22,313 | $76.9M | — | $490K |
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$214,401,425
- Employer contributions$2,296,768
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$2,296,768
- Total income, including investment results$23,138,271
- Benefits paid$17,354,346
- Administrative expenses$820,612
- Total expenses$18,174,958
- Net income$4,963,313
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$219,364,738
Participants
- Active participants547
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits2,456
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits822
- Total participants, end of year4,175
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willis Towers Watson | Actuarial | $116,059 | $0 |
| BDO USA, P.C. | Accounting (including auditing) | $29,143 | $0 |
| Conduent | Contract Administrator | $26,766 | $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$614,959
- Actuarial fees$116,059
- Contract administrator fees$60,410
- IQPA audit fees$29,143
- Legal fees$41
- Total administrative expenses$820,612
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$219M · 99.6%
- Receivables$792K · 0.4%
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
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1CCash balance or similar plan1IFrozen 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 |
| Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Contract Employees | 42,802 | $3.95B |
| 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 |
| Delta 401(k) Retirement Plan for Subsidiaries | 1,460 | $114M |
Similar plans in Georgia
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Pilot Employees | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | 7,452 | $4.51B | $604,572 |
| Georgia Stevedore Association International Longshoremen's Association Pension Plan | Georgia Stevedore Assoc. Int'l Longshoremen's Assoc. | 4,116 | $831M | $201,910 |
| 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 |
| Americold National Service Related Pension Plan | Americold Logistics, LLC | 685 | $24.4M | $35,620 |
| 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 |
| Colonial Pipeline Company Retirement Plan | Colonial Pipeline Company | 443 | $78.8M | $177,836 |
Defined benefit plans in transportation and warehousing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Northwest Airlines Pension Plan for Salaried Employees?
4,175 participants at the end of the plan year ending 30 Sep 2025, of whom 547 were active employees, with net assets of $219,364,738. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 1,540 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Delta Air Lines, Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $2,296,768 in employer contributions for the year, which is $4,199 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $10,593 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 $171,968 in compensation to service provider organisations, $41.19 per participant or 0.08% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $325 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $820,612. 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 017, 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.