Delta forecasts about 20% profit gain as premium travel demand stays strong

Delta Air Lines said it expects profits to rise by about 20 percent in 2026, citing strong demand for premium seats. The airline issued the forecast with its financial results for the final three months of 2025. Delta reported a $5 billion profit last year on more than $63 billion in revenue and said it expected revenue to rise at least 5 percent in the first three months of 2026 from the same period a year earlier.

CEO Ed Bastian said on a call with reporters, "Our consumer is healthy and investing in travel," and that the airline set a new record for bookings with sales up double digits year over year. The company said it placed an order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, its first use of that model, and that the first planes are expected to be delivered in 2031.

Mr. Bastian said the Dreamliners are cheaper and more efficient for shorter long-haul flights, will replace aging, less efficient aircraft, and reflect a desire not to be too reliant on a single manufacturer. Delta emphasized its focus on higher-paying travelers: virtually all of the new seats it plans to add this year will be in premium cabins.

Revenue from premium seats rose 7 percent from 2024 to 2025, while main-cabin revenue fell 5 percent and cargo revenue rose 9 percent. The airline said corporate sales rose in the last three months of 2025, led by banking, consumer services and media, and that a recent Delta survey found almost 90 percent of companies expect to maintain or increase travel.

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Business, Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian, Premium Cabins, Business Travel, World Cup