Former Delta president and chief operating officer and Peachtree City resident Hollis Harris passed away on July 13. Hollis was 84.
According to Delta, Harris began his airline career at Delta in 1954 while he was taking classes in aeronautical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Harris earned his bachelor’s degree in 1961 while working for Delta’s engineering department and rose through the airline’s ranks. In 1987, he was named president and COO and a member of Delta’s board, Delta said.
“Hollis was a beloved leader at Delta and one of the people whose shoulders we stand proudly on,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “We all will miss him, and the thoughts and prayers of the entire Delta family are with Hollis’ family today.”
The airline noted that during his time as president, Harris launched Delta’s first flight to Seoul, South Korea, just ahead of the 1988 Summer Olympics there.
In 1990, Harris joined Continental Airlines as president and CEO. Two years later he was named chairman, president and CEO of Air Canada. He later returned to Continental to serve on their board of directors, and helped restructure that airline in bankruptcy, Delta said. He also served as president of Peachtree City-based World Airways.
Prior to joining the airline industry, Harris served as battery commander in Germany during the Korean War.
Harris was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in 2005.
A native of Carrollton, Harris was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 12 but fully recovered, an event that inspired his father to become a Methodist minister, the airline noted.
Harris lived in Peachtree City since 1969.
