Korean Air and Delta Air Lines made a popular California beach more pristine on June 20 in a team-building competition that removed boatloads of litter along the shore next to the Santa Monica pier.

Working with California’s Heal the Bay non-profit organization, ten four-person teams went head-to-head in a “Suits on the Sand” competition that succeeded in picking up hundreds of pounds of trash and countless cigarette butts.

The clean-up was a project of the Korean Air-Delta six-year-old joint venture that has built homes with Habitat for Humanity in Manila and Los Angeles, conducted a riverside clean-up in Seoul and planted trees in Mongolia.

The group had the unique opportunity to explore marine pollution with a Heal the Bay educator and then clean up the beach with interactive team-building activities and a healthy dose of friendly competition.

Heal the Bay, founded in 1985, is a non-profit environmental organization based in Santa Monica, California, that focuses on protecting Santa Monica Bay and its surrounding waters.

“This team-building project not only solidifies our airlines’ Joint Venture but also supports our community outreach efforts in Southern California. Korean Air has been serving Los Angeles for more than 50 years and travelers visit from around the world to enjoy Los Angeles’ beautiful coastline. We’re honored to be protecting the area’s beauty,” said In Joon Seo, Korean Air’s General Manager and Head of Passenger Business for the Americas.

Athar Khan, Delta’s Director of International Specialty Sales, said, “Delta and Korean Air joint venture partnership extends beyond business. It’s also about giving back to the communities where we live, work and serve. Having made strides in the Philippines, Mongolia and Korea, we are excited to bring our collected efforts to LA again. As one of our most significant markets, LA boasts a vibrant Korean community and Delta’s state-of-the-art airport facilities. We are proud to be back in LA to join forces and make our community contribution together.”

This is the third Joint Venture project Korean Air has produced with Delta in the Los Angeles area. Korean Air and Delta built Habitat for Humanity homes in downtown Los Angeles in 2019 and 2022. Korean Air and Delta Air Lines have had a strategic association for years and, in 2018, announced the formation of their partnership that has become the world’s most comprehensive transpacific joint venture.

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