[5] Bastian began his career as an auditor in New York City at Price Waterhouse, now PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

During a 1981 annual review, he uncovered a $50 million fraud scheme involving ad powerhouse J. Walter Thompson.

[7] Bastian left Delta in 2005 to become senior vice president and chief financial officer at Acuity Brands.

Six months later, at the request of then-Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein, he returned to the airline to serve as chief financial officer.

[18] Meanwhile, a commentator described Bastian's decision to fly to Paris at the height of the meltdown as "the most Marie Antoinette thing any business could do".

[2] Under Bastian's leadership, Delta sued the Biden administration for requiring greater transparency in the fees that airlines charged consumers.