Delta AMT Joe Tedesco featured for unique career path and dedication to flight safety

The maintenance line operates around the clock and presents daily challenges, including tasks such as repairing Wi-Fi receivers atop aircraft or changing brakes during Minnesota’s winter months. Tedesco highlighted the importance of teamwork: “You can have a really uncomfortable job, but if you’re working with a great team, you can still have fun and get the job done,” he said.

A key theme of the article is Tedesco’s commitment to safety. “Nobody likes delays, and I assure you, as a technician, we don’t want to make that plane delayed any more than our passengers,” he said. “However, I won’t release an unsafe aircraft, and neither will any tech I work with. We take a lot of pride in that. The mechanics creed: Treat it like your parents are flying on it. And quite often they are, because our parents fly for free.”

Tedesco noted that Delta’s focus on employee satisfaction and safety was part of what attracted him to the company and continues to motivate him professionally. “I know I can go to my management with any safety concern, and it will be addressed,” he said.

Outside of work, Tedesco takes advantage of Delta’s employee travel benefits as an avid diver—he has logged over 400 dives and frequently visits Bonaire in the Caribbean for shore diving trips. He also enjoys living in the Twin Cities and volunteers with animals at the University of Minnesota.

The Star Tribune profile highlights both Tedesco’s personal story and broader themes about Delta’s technical staff who help ensure safe operations across its network.