Delta passes United to become No. 2 in US after American

Delta passed United Continental to become the second-largest airline in the US, topping its rival for the first time since a series of mergers transformed the industry landscape. Delta now sits behind only American Airlines as the country’s biggest carrier by traffic, a common gauge of carrier size, according to the airlines. Some of Delta’s gain may be chalked up to challenges United in its merger with Continental Airlines, said Adam Hackel, an associate analyst at Sterne Agee CRT. “The reality is, Delta offers better service and a better product than United,” Hackel said. “My first thought was people probably prefer to fly Delta now.” United recorded 208.6 billion revenue passenger miles, an industry yardstick of traffic that multiplies the number of passengers by the distance flown, the company said in a statement Monday. Delta recorded 209.6b revenue passenger miles in 2015, the Atlanta-based carrier said last week. Delta’s growth at home and abroad in such places as Brazil may have given it an edge over United, Raymond James Financial analyst Savanthi Syth said in September as Delta was gaining ground. Since traffic is calculated with flight distance, growth overseas can bump up an airline’s standing, she said.<br/>