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DALLAS — Delta Air Lines (DL) unveiled record-breaking financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024, showcasing robust operational performance and significant revenue growth. The airline also provided an optimistic outlook for 2025, projecting continued strength in travel demand.
The Atlanta-based carrier reported fourth-quarter operating revenue of US$15.6 billion and operating income of US$1.7 billion, reflecting an 11% operating margin. The company achieved pre-tax income of US$1.2 billion and earnings per share of US$1.29. Cash flow remained strong, reaching US$1.9 billion during the quarter.
CEO Ed Bastian highlighted the company's exceptional year, noting that DL’s performance distinguished it from industry peers. In February 2025, the airline plans to distribute US$1.4 billion in profit-sharing payments to recognize employees' contributions.
Looking ahead, DL projects a promising start to 2025. First-quarter revenue is expected to grow between 7% and 9%, and earnings per share are forecasted to be between US$0.70 and US$1.00. For 2025, the airline anticipates earnings exceeding US$7.35 per share and free cash flow surpassing US$4 billion.
The company's financial position remains solid. At the end of the fourth quarter, total debt and finance lease obligations stood at US$16.2 billion. During this period, DL made US$1.5 billion in payments toward debt and finance lease obligations.
Bastian expressed confidence in the company's outlook, citing strong consumer demand for premium travel experiences and favorable industry conditions. He predicted 2025 could become the most successful financial year in DL’s century-long history, with pre-tax income projected to exceed US$6 billion.
Investors and interested parties can access more detailed information about DL’s financial results through a live webcast on the company's investor relations website, scheduled for today, January 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. ET.
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Exploring Airline History Volume I
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David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!
February 2025
