Delta Air Lines expects its full-year earnings to be at the upper half of its guidance, following a record third quarter performance.
The US airline reported operating revenue of $16.7bn for the three months to the end of September, and pre-tax profits of $1.8bn. It expects full-year earnings per share to be around $6.
Delta Air Lines CEO, Ed Bastian, said: “Delta’s competitive advantages and differentiation have never been more evident, and thanks to the hard work of our people, we continue to elevate the customer experience and extend our industry leadership. We delivered September quarter results at the top end of our expectations on a combination of strong execution and improving fundamentals.
“Momentum is continuing into the final stretch of our Centennial year, positioning us to deliver strong December quarter earnings. Looking to 2026, Delta is well positioned to deliver top-line growth, margin expansion and earnings improvement consistent with our long-term financial framework.”
“Delta generated record September quarter revenue of $15.2 billion, up 4.1% year-over-year, reflecting the strength of our diverse, high margin revenue streams and improving Domestic fundamentals. Over the last 6 weeks, sales trends have accelerated across all geographies and in every advance purchase window, positioning Delta to finish the year with momentum. For the December quarter, we expect total revenue growth of 2% to 4% over last year’s record performance, with healthy sequential unit revenue improvement driven by continued Domestic strength and meaningful improvement in Transatlantic unit revenue,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s president.
