This archive report was first published on 15 July 2021.
On July 14, 2021, Delta Airlines announced a $652 million net income in Q2 2021, marking its first quarterly profit since the global COVID-19 pandemic began.
The airline attributed the profit to billions of dollars in government aid for U.S. airline workers' salaries, a vaccination-led travel rebound, and a strong rise in quarterly revenues, which topped analyst estimates.
Delta's second-quarter adjusted operating revenue fell 49% from 2019 to $6.35 billion, a marked improvement from the 60.4% slump in the first quarter and above analysts' average estimate of $6.22 billion.
Excluding items such as government payroll support, the company lost $1.07 per share in the second quarter.
Domestic leisure travel has fully recovered to 2019 levels, with passenger traffic reaching its highest levels since March 2020. However, international travel remains weak due to ongoing U.S. travel restrictions.
Delta expects to stay in the black for the rest of the fiscal year, citing its improved financial performance.
