Summary Delta Air Lines brought Team USA back from Paris with the official Olympic flag on a special Airbus A350-900. After 40 years, the Olympic flag returns to Los Angeles in preparation for the games in 2028. The striking LA28 livery aircraft features a unique design with palm trees symbolizing the three Olympic and Paralympic games hosted in the city.
After 16 days of competition in Paris, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines carried Team USA back home on Monday. The special flight not only had the beloved athletes onboard, but also Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with the official Olympic flag in hand. The arrival marked the countdown to the 2028 Summer Games, which will be held in the City of Angels.
To celebrate, Team USA, accompanied by state and local officials, were greeted with a warm welcome at Delta’s hangar at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) . The return of the Olympic flag after four decades Following the handing over of the Olympic flag at the closing ceremony in Paris, DL291 departed from Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) at 11:00 on Monday. After an 11-hour journey, the flight landed on Runway 25L at LAX at 13:04.
It was operated by N522DZ, an Airbus A350-900 painted in a special livery. The aircraft dons a striking LA28 design to commemorate the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad. Upon landing, the aircraft was towed to Delta’s hangar on the west end of LAX, where a ceremony was held to welcome back Team USA.
Several supporters cheered as the plane parked and the athletes and officials disembarked. Mayor Bass exited the aircraft holding the Olympic flag. It is the first time in 40 years that the flag has been in Los Angeles.
LA28 will be the third time Los Angeles will host the Olympic games. They were previously held in 1984 and 1932, but 2028 will be the first time the city will also host the Paralympic Games. Bass was joined in transporting the flag by LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman and Team USA Olympians Tate Carew, Micah Ma’a, and Delaney Schnell.
Carew is on the skateboarding team, Ma’a is on the volleyball team, and Schnell is on the diving team. “Show the world what LA can bring” Bass and the athletes were greeted on the tarmac by California Governor Gavin Newsom, as well as LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover, and LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans. The unveiling ceremony for the new Airbus A350 livery took place in Toulouse (TLS).
Evans spoke to Simple Flying about the significance of the games coming to Los Angeles. “We’re so excited to bring the Olympics from Paris to Los Angeles. It’s early, but the Paris games were an incredible success.
We at LA28 are very excited to build upon that success and show the world what LA can bring unique to the Olympic and Paralympic games.” Three palm trees representing three games Delta is a founding partner of LA28, and N522DZ is one of its newest A350-900s. In March, it was spotted in Toulouse, but had yet to have any engines mounted.
The widebody jet will be the airline’s second Olympic-themed aircraft. Kelly Fitzgerald, Delta’s Senior Art Director, was responsible for designing the LA28 livery. “The inspiration of this was honestly Los Angeles itself.
You’ll see a nice sunset gradient, and that uses the Olympic gold, the Delta red, the Delta blue, and that pulls it all together...
as well as the palm trees, each representing the Olympic and Paralympic games held in Los Angeles.” The aircraft will fly throughout Delta’s network, showcasing the design to the world. However, it is not Delta’s only Olympic-themed aircraft.
The US legacy carrier has another A350-900 and an A330-900neo painted in a special Team USA livery, as it is the official airline of the team..
