Delta Air Lines[1] passengers in the USA can now apply for a contactless credit card which is the first to have been made using recycled aircraft metal.
The limited edition versions of Delta’s SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business American Express cards contain 25% metal from a retired Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet — Delta Ship #6307 — and come with a “welcome kit” that enables holders to access an “augmented reality experience” about the aircraft’s history and the manufacture of the card.
“To begin the transformation from ‘wings to wallet’, Delta teams reached out to the team at the boneyard in Arizona, where the 747 was moved after retirement,” Delta says.
“The big question: would it be possible to disassemble the main body of the aircraft, the fuselage, and mould it into metal that could be cut into a credit card?
“After a year of research and development to ensure the airplane metal could work as a functioning credit card that stands up to daily wear and tear, a team of metal workers began disassembling the aircraft. They then prepped the aluminium exterior so the material could be cleaned, processed and rolled into thin sheets to preserve its authenticity.
“The Boeing 747 Card is made with 25% airplane metal and has layers of polymer print to protect the aluminium as well as an antenna that enables contactless payments.
“Delta Ship #6307 holds special meaning for many Delta customers and employees; this aircraft has provided transport to US service men and women, evacuated travellers from Florida during Hurricane Irma, united families and friends and transported travellers to bucket-list destinations all over the globe.”
Delta is accepting applications for the metal contactless card until 3 August
