Planes packed with summer travelers boosted Delta Air Lines to a $1.11 billion profit in the third quarter, and the carrier said Thursday that it expects revenue to keep rising into the holiday season.
Profit was up 59% from a year earlier, as strong ticket sales — especially for premium seats and international flights — helped Delta shrug off higher labor costs.
“I think we’re closing the year strong, and the holiday bookings that we see right now are pretty good,” CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview.
For the fourth quarter, Delta said revenue will rise as much as 11% from a year ago and it will earn between $1.05 to $1.30 per share.
Bastian expressed confidence that Delta and other carriers can raise prices enough to cover any increase in fuel expense.
Persons:
“, Ed Bastian, Bastian, ” Bastian, We’ll, ”
Organizations:
Delta Air Lines, —, Travelers, JFK, Delta, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Revenue
Locations:
Delta, Atlanta, U.S, New