Delta reported Thursday Q1 profit that beat Wall Street estimates on higher average fares and passenger traffic and it expected cost curbs and tax cuts to help growth in its next three months. The carrier reported earnings per share of 77c, down from earnings of 82c per share in the year ago period due to winter storms and fuel prices, but topping analysts’ average estimate of 73 cents per share. In Q2, Delta expects earnings per share of $1.80 to $2, with improving costs and lower US corporate tax rate helping to mitigate higher fuel prices - a big worry for airlines as crude prices hover around three-year highs. “We are seeing Delta’s best revenue momentum since 2014, with positive domestic unit revenues, improvements in all our international entities, strong demand for corporate travel and double-digit increases in our loyalty revenues,” Delta President Glen Hauenstein said. “We expect to maintain this momentum and deliver total revenue growth of 4 to 6% for the full year.” The carrier said total unit revenue would increase 3 to 5% in Q2. It also forecast an increase in quarterly unit costs, excluding fuel and profit sharing, of 1 to 3% compared with the preceding year.<br/>
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Delta plans to introduce its first Bombardier CS100 in early 2019, with deliveries set to begin later this year. The carrier anticipates taking delivery of a "handful" of aircraft in the fourth quarter with entry-into-service early in the new year, said Delta CE Ed Bastian Thursday. Delta will configure the aircraft with 110 seats and use them to displace 76-seat regional jets in markets where demand warrants the additional capacity. Executives have previously indicated that the airline will fly the CS100 from coastal hubs in Los Angeles, New York and Seattle to mid-continent points, including ones in Texas. Delta can begin taking CSeries aircraft this year following a trade ruling in favour of the Canadian airframer in January.<br/>
A daughter of the chairman of Korean Air Lines apologised Thursday for her “foolish behavior”, following media reports that she threw a water bottle at the face of a manager at the airline’s advertising agency. It is the latest controversy to engulf the chairman’s family after the so-called “nut rage” incident, when his elder daughter Heather Cho flew into a rage on an aircraft over the manner in which she was served nuts in first class. In the latest incident, angered by the manager’s inability to answer a question, Cho Hyun-min, a senior VP of Korean Air, threw a bottle at a wall, followed by another at the individual’s face, the Kookmin Ilbo newspaper and other media said, quoting a posting on anonymous mobile application Blind. In a posting on Facebook, Cho, who is also executive VP at budget affiliate Jin Air, said her behaviour was unacceptable, calling her action “foolish and careless”, but gave no details. “Although I have great love toward the advertisements, it is more important to have respect and appreciation for other people,” she added. “So it is my big fault that I was not able to manage my feelings.”<br/>