Delta's next CE says improving foreign results is a top focus

Shoring up international operations is Delta Air Lines' biggest challenge and opportunity, incoming CE Ed Bastian said. The affordability of plane tickets overseas is the main reason behind a decline in operations abroad, Bastian said Thursday, a day after he was named to succeed Richard Anderson as CE. The airline has said a strong dollar is weighing on results. Passenger revenue from international markets fell 6% last year, while US sales excluding those from regional affiliates rose about 5%. Improving foreign operations is just one challenge Bastian faces. Bastian also must reach out to Delta’s front-line employees, who were loyal to Anderson. The carrier has said that a pilot-union proposal that includes a 40% raise over 3 years is unreasonable, raising the possibility that contract talks with its aviators may drag on. <br/>