Delta Air Lines may allocate around $600 million to its U.S. defined benefit (DB) plans this year, Pensions & Investments reports. The U.S. airline carrier invested around $728 million in its pension plans in 2010.

The Georgia-based company’s DB assets increased from $7.62 billion to $8.25 billion as of end of last year, while its funded status improved to 44.76% from 47.12% from at year end. As of Dec. 31, 2010, the plan’s asset allocation was 57.4% to equities, 20.2% combined to private equity, real estate and natural resources, 17.8% to fixed income and 4.6% to cash.