NEW YORK, NY. — The Women’s National Basketball Association announced today a full league-wide charter program that will be phased in beginning with the start of the 2024 regular season. This groundbreaking initiative marks a significant milestone in the WNBA’s history and is a result of the successful execution of the league’s strategic business transformation over the past few years.
“We are thrilled to announce the launch of a full charter program as soon as practical for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, a testament to the continued growth of the WNBA,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “We have been hard at work to transform the business and build a sustainable economic model to support charter flights for the long term. While we still have a lot of work to do to continue to execute our strategic plan, we feel confident that the time is now to institute a full charter program to demonstrate our commitment to leading with a player-first agenda.”
The program will be primarily operated by preeminent sports charterer Delta Air Lines.
“It’s exciting to add the WNBA to our prestigious roster of sports charter partners as we participate in this historic advancement in women’s professional sports,” said Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines. “We’re looking forward to providing the WNBA with the welcoming, caring and elevated service that Delta people have made famous.”
“I am thrilled to see a significant change in policy that will permit and provide charter travel across all teams throughout the 2024 season and going forward,” said Seattle Storm forward and WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike. “On behalf of the players, I express my appreciation and support for a bold move by the Commissioner and team governors that in turn shows that they understand and value the health and safety of the players. It is time to be transformational. It’s time to bet on women.”
In February of 2022, the WNBA raised $75 million in capital and has been deploying the capital in strategic areas such as marketing, digital transformation, globalization, and fan engagement. The league’s media and corporate partners have been instrumental in investing in the league’s rise. The WNBA’s 28th season tips off on Tuesday May 14th.
WNBA Communication contributed to this column
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