Aviramp founder Graham Corfield has praised the “special relationship” between his company and Delta Air Lines after the two organisations once again partnered to support the return of US World War II veterans to Normandy. Corfield travelled to Deauville Normandie Airport to welcome veterans arriving on Delta flight DL9994, a Boeing 767 300 operating a special non stop service from Atlanta.
Now in its fifth year, the Normandy Legacy Flight is managed by Delta enterprise sales manager Virginie Durr in partnership with Delta’s Veterans Business Resource Group, the Best Defense Foundation and Michelin. This year’s arrival was greeted by France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron, US Ambassador Charles Kushner, Best Defense Foundation president Donnie Edwards, and members of the Corfield family.
Corfield said the partnership with Delta had evolved far beyond a commercial arrangement. “What began as a message from Virginie and a meeting of our two teams around a table in a restaurant in Deauville has grown into one of the most meaningful relationships this company has ever had,” he said, adding that supporting the programme was both a privilege and a responsibility for Aviramp.
The operation at Deauville is overseen by Christine Marchand Pardo, Delta’s managing director of operations for EMEA and India, whose mother served in the French Resistance. She is the first to greet veterans as the aircraft door opens. “Their energy, their humour, their spirit – it’s unforgettable,” she said.
The annual flight pairs US veterans with students for an emotional journey to Normandy’s historic beaches, preserving first hand accounts of the war for future generations. Deauville Normandie Airport, which typically handles small leisure aircraft, required extensive planning to accommodate the 400,000 pound widebody jet. Delta’s airport customer service and TechOps teams built a temporary operation from the ground up, with the Aviramp — donated to the airport in 2025 — playing a central role in enabling safe, dignified boarding and deplaning for elderly veterans, many with reduced mobility.
Aviramp training manager Ross Underhill positioned the custom-built step free ramp at the aircraft door, while heavy rain and wind underscored the importance of the ramp’s non slip surface and stair free design. “The Aviramp’s slip proof surface and stair free access proved invaluable,” said Adam Corfield, Aviramp’s head of global sales.
Aviramp now has around 950 ramps in service worldwide, providing a safe, dignified alternative to stairs and ambulifts for passengers with reduced mobility and helping improve turnaround efficiency for airlines and airports.
