Delta Air's ticket sales improve, reinstates initial Q3 revenue view

Delta said Sunday that its ticket sales had stabilized and started to improve, putting it on course to deliver Q3 revenue within its original forecast for a 30%-35% drop versus corresponding 2019 levels. This is an improvement from its projection last month when it adjusted the forecast to the lower end of that range after a resurgence in COVID-19 cases. The airline is due to report results for the quarter through September on Oct. 13. “For Delta, they bottomed out in the later part of August and the first part of September,” CE ED Bastian said on the sidelines of a meeting of airlines group IATA. “Business traffic is growing back in the US.” Domestic travel bookings are expected to surpass 2019 levels next year, Bastian added. Later, the airline said it would boost its capacity by more than 20% next summer over the 2019 peak by increasing service from Boston.<br/>