DELTA RECORDS $63.4BN OPERATING REVENUE IN 100TH YEAR

International airline Delta Airlines has reported $63.4 billion in operating revenue for 2025, marking a strong close to its centennial year.

In a statement released Thursday, the company disclosed full-year figures showing an operating income of $5.8 billion and pre-tax income of $6.2 billion, resulting in a pre-tax margin of 9.8 percent. Full-year earnings per share reached $7.66, while operating cash flow totaled $8.3 billion.

For the fourth quarter, Delta generated $16.0 billion in operating revenue, with an operating income of $1.5 billion and an operating margin of 9.2 percent. Quarterly earnings per share stood at $1.86, supported by strong demand across premium, international, and corporate travel segments. Operating cash flow for the quarter amounted to $2.3 billion, reflecting continued strength in the airline’s core business.

Commenting on the performance, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said, “The Delta team delivered a strong close to our centennial year, demonstrating the differentiation and resilience we’ve built. Our industry-leading results benefit our customers and employees while creating value for our shareholders, in line with our long-term financial strategy.

“We achieved $5 billion in pre-tax profit with a double-digit operating margin and record free cash flow of $4.6 billion, despite a challenging environment. These results were made possible by the exceptional efforts of our people, and we look forward to celebrating our team next month with $1.3 billion in well-earned profit-sharing.”

On the outlook for 2026, Bastian added, “The year has started strongly, with accelerating top-line growth driven by consumer and corporate demand. We expect to deliver margin expansion and approximately 20 percent earnings growth year-over-year.”

Excluding special items, Delta posted $4.6 billion in free cash flow for the year and achieved a 12 percent return on invested capital, reinforcing its focus on profitability, cash generation, and balance-sheet strength. The airline closed 2025 with total debt and finance lease obligations of $14.1 billion, continuing its progress toward investment-grade metrics.

Bastian also highlighted Delta’s commitment to its workforce, announcing $1.3 billion in employee profit-sharing payouts—among the largest in company history.

Operationally, Delta maintained its position as one of the most on-time carriers in the United States while expanding premium offerings and investing in fleet modernization and digital innovation.

Looking ahead, the airline expressed confidence in 2026, expecting full-year earnings growth of around 20 percent year-over-year, supported by margin expansion and sustained revenue momentum from both leisure and corporate travel.