Airlines have been flying high in recent years but none have achieved the altitude of Delta Air Lines (DAL).
Led by Richard Anderson, Delta has grown revenue each year since 2008 as a slew of partnerships have begun to pay off. These alliances include deals with Air France-KLM, Alitalia, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines Group and a pair of Chinese airlines.
Anderson was also tasked with the unenviable job of overseeing Delta's complex integration with Northwest Airlines last decade.
Delta's efforts to improve its image have paid off, with the company topping Fortune's list of most admired airlines in 2011 and 2013.
More importantly for investors, Delta's stock bounced back from a difficult 2011 by jumping 47% in 2012 and skyrocketing 131% last year.
Delta shares have soared 326% over the past three years. That's light years ahead of the S&P 500 industrial sector's 55% advance over that span.
