Delta’s DEI Stance Called Out After Toronto Plane Crash

Delta Air Lines’ stance on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is under fire after a plane crash in Toronto on Monday that injured at least 17 people.

Newsweek has contacted Delta Air Lines for comment via email.

Why It Matters

DEI policies have come under fire following at least four major aviation incidents this year, with President Donald Trump questioning if such initiatives were partly to blame for the fatal mid-air collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C., in January that killed 67 people.

Following the crash, Trump said that DEI programs had “lowered standards” for hiring air traffic controllers in the Federal Aviation Administration during the Joe Biden and Barack Obama presidencies.

Days later, the Trump administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees.

There is no evidence to suggest DEI policies were to blame for any of the plane crashes that have occurred this year.

On his first day in office, Trump ordered the removal of officials overseeing DEI efforts across federal agencies as well as the dismantling of federal diversity programs. A memo from the Office of Personnel Management, released in January, directed agency heads to place all DEI staff on paid administrative leave, and to plan for staff reductions by January 31. The memo also mandated the removal of DEI materials and the withdrawal of documents that conflicted with the new directives.

What To Know

At least 17 people were injured, three critically, when a Delta plane crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday after taking off from Minneapolis, the Associated Press reported. One of the critically injured passengers was a child.

Aviation expert Scott Hamilton told Newsweek strong that strong winds and snow in Toronto could have played a role in the crash.

Footage from the scene, posted by News Channel3 Now, showed the Delta plane overturned on snow-covered tarmac, with passengers walking away from the wreckage.

Although the cause of the crash has not yet been determined some took to X to blame DEI for the incident, pointing to Delta’s commitment to DEI initiatives after the attacks from the White House on such policies.

“Delta airlines hire based on DEI and will not hire based on merit. I will no longer fly delta,” X user Heather Bear wrote.

Delta has not said that it does not hire based on merit.

After Trump’s executive orders on his first day in office, which saw many institutions, including Google and Amazon, retreat from their commitment to DEI initatives, Delta reaffirmed their commitment.

“We are steadfast in our commitments because we think that they are actually critical to our business,” Peter Carter, Delta’s chief external affairs officer, told FOX5 Atlanta. Carter further emphasized that DEI is about talent—a key focus of the airline—and is integral to its long-term sustainability.

“The key differentiator at Delta is our people,” Carter said.

In August 2021, Delta’s Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Impact Officer Keyra Lynn Johnson, said the company was striving to “boldly pursue equity,” adding that they were looking into how to make their gatehouse announcements more inclusive.

“So we’re beginning to take a hard look at things like our gatehouse announcements,” Johnson said. “You know, we welcome ‘ladies and gentlemen.’ And we’ve asked ourselves, ‘Is that as gender inclusive as we want to be?'”

What People Are Saying

X account Jere_Memez wrote: “Just days after Delta Airlines doubled down on DEI, there’s another plane crash. This time, the plane was upside. No casualties have been reported so far.”

Internet personality Steve Gruber wrote on X: “What could go wrong?! On February 11, 2025 Delta announced it was going to double down on it’s DEI commitment.”

X account Liberal Tear Creator, who describes himself as an “independent journalist,” wrote on X: “Delta plane crashes at Toronto Pearson Airport—now upside down on the runway. Canada is the DEI capital of the planet.”

TV producer Morgan J. Freeman wrote on X: “Are u blaming DEI, Biden & Obama — under which we had nearly no major airline crashes???”

Aviation expert Scott Hamilton told Newsweek: “Looking at the videos [of the crash], there looks like there was also a lot of wind out there. lnvestigators…will look at whether there was a wind shear. A wind shear refers to a sudden change in wind speed and/or direction.”

“It could have caught the wing and lifted it, causing it to flip,” he added.

What Happens Next

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) told Newsweek via email that it is deploying a team of investigators following the crash. The TSB, an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation incidents, said it will gather information and assess the Monday’s accident.