Delta Air Lines is among the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2021 – the only airline to make the list of "businesses making an extraordinary impact around the world." This new list is an expansion of the iconic TIME100, known for sharing the top 100 most influential people of the year.

Categorized as a 'leader' for 'thinking ahead,' Delta was recognized for its focus on customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – specifically calling out that, under CEO Ed Bastian’s leadership, Delta was the only major airline to keep middle seats open to allow more spacing between passengers for more than a year.

The TIME100 Most Influential Companies list highlights a wide array of companies – from tech startups to large pharmaceutical companies. The 100 companies were selected from a pool of nominations submitted by TIME editors, correspondents and industry experts. "We evaluated each one on key factors, including relevance, impact, innovation, leadership, ambition and success," the publication said.

TIME praised Delta’s focus on the future, with plans to roll out free in-flight Wi-Fi. The airline announced on Tuesday its plans to outfit nearly all of its domestic mainline fleet with best-in-class high-speed Wi-Fi by the end of 2022.

With enhanced Wi-Fi service onboard coming this year, critically acclaimed in-flight entertainment content, industry-leading rewards, reimagined snacks and beverages onboard and more destinations to visit in 2021, customers have even more to look forward to as they reclaim the joy of travel.