Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) Earnings Call Transcripts

Delta Air Lines, Inc.'s Latest Earnings Call - Q3 FY2026

In the September quarter of fiscal year 2026, Delta Air Lines reported a revenue increase of 16% year-over-year, reaching $17.4 billion, while earnings per share (EPS) were $1.72, maintaining a pretax profit of $1.5 billion despite a $1.6 billion rise in fuel costs. Management maintained guidance for the December quarter, expecting pretax profits of approximately $1.2 billion and full-year pretax profits of around $4.5 billion, despite a projected 60% increase in fuel expenses. The results reflect Delta's operational resilience and strong demand across both leisure and business travel segments.

Reported metrics

Guidance from management

Delta expects revenue growth of approximately 20% year-over-year in the December quarter, with full-year earnings projected at $5.10 to $5.60 per share. Guidance reflects confidence in demand and operational improvements despite rising fuel costs.

What management said

Well, we'll continue to be disciplined on capacity, and we'll -- we're going to manage the business for margin, so we'll take out costs that we can if capacity wanes, but we'll be focused on continuing elevate returns.

Thanks for the question. Yes, when you look at where we are in closing the third quarter, we saw a very strong demand from our customer base. When you look at the fourth quarter on the sequential improvement and 20% revenue growth, we're already greater than 60% booked for the quarter. our demand in premium products continues to be high teens, and that's leading us also to our corporate -- pulling our corporate trave...

What analysts pressed on

Analysts expressed concerns regarding the sustainability of cost management in light of rising fuel prices and operational reliability issues. Questions were raised about the impact of competitive capacity increases and the potential for margin pressure in a high-cost environment.

Main topics on the call

• Revenue Growth Acceleration — Delta's revenue grew by $2.4 billion, or 16%, compared to the prior year, driven by strong demand and effective capacity management. CEO Ed Bastian noted, "The top 40% of U.S. households... are nearly $40 trillion wealth...
• Operational Efficiency — Delta achieved an operating margin of 9.4% and reported strong operational performance metrics, including record on-time performance and customer satisfaction. COO Dan Janki highlighted, "We widened our industry leadersh...
• Fuel Cost Impact — Despite a significant increase in fuel costs, Delta managed to maintain profitability. CFO Erik Snell stated, "We expect a greater benefit in the December quarter at roughly 3x the September quarter level," indicating a ...
• Guidance and Future Outlook — Management expects continued revenue momentum with a projected 20% revenue growth in the December quarter. They forecast full-year earnings of $5.10 to $5.60 per share, reflecting confidence in sustained demand and opera...

Read the full Delta Air Lines, Inc. transcript (Q3 FY2026) → Summary generated from the call transcript; every figure above is stated by management on the record.

Earnings Call History

EarningsCalls.dev has 57 Delta Air Lines, Inc. earnings call transcripts on record, spanning January 7, 2020 to October 9, 2026. Based on this history, Delta Air Lines, Inc. reports quarterly. The most recent call on file is dated October 9, 2026. The full list is below — each row opens the complete, free-to-read transcript.

Ticker

DAL

Exchange

NYSE

Country

US

Sector

Industrials

Industry

Passenger Airlines

Calls on record

57

First call

January 7, 2020

Most recent

October 9, 2026

Reporting cadence

quarterly