This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Atlanta • Delta Air Lines will not continue its sponsorship of Atlanta's Fox Theatre after a rival airline rented the facility for an event.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Qatar Airways expects to start service in Atlanta on June 1, and held a Tuesday event at the Fox to celebrate the launch of the new flights.
Delta's chief legal officer Peter Carter said the Atlanta-based airline was "very surprised and disappointed" when executives learned the Fox would be hosting the Qatar event, which featured singer Jennifer Lopez.
Carter is quoted by the newspaper as saying "we won't be supporting the Fox going forward."
In a statement, the Fox said it was disheartened to learn Delta chose to penalize the theater for its decision to rent the venue to another airline.
Delta has a major hub at Salt Lake City International Airport, with more than 3,000 employees, including 600 pilots.