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Delta Air Lines on pace for $1 billion in cargo revenue in 2021

Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 09:17 PM ET

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Delta had a strong quarter, but is worried that fuel costs may stall its momentum. Delta Air Lines

Key Takeaways:

Delta Air Lines achieved its first profit since the pandemic in Q3 2021, largely driven by a 39% surge in cargo revenue over 2019 levels, putting it on track to exceed $1 billion for the year.
Despite the Q3 success, Delta forecasts a modest loss in Q4 due to a 60% year-over-year increase in fuel costs, partially offset by recovering passenger demand.
The airline is accelerating its fleet renewal with the acquisition of more fuel-efficient Airbus A350s, aiming to restore most of its pre-pandemic capacity by next summer and benefit from improving corporate and international travel.

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Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.

Eric is the Air Cargo Market Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government coverage and news analysis, and was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com