Articles tagged “delta air lines”

Good morning from Skift. It's Friday, January 14, in New York City. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Delta took an Omicron-sized hit in December that has continued into the new year. But the airline remains bullish on the recovery, which CEO Ed Bastian says can move forward apace now that Covid-19 is likely moving toward being an endemic, like the flu.

Delta has tempered expectations for 2022 amid serious questions over the Omicron variant and when business travelers will return. But even a tempered forecast has a silver lining: Slower growth means higher fares, and a return to profits for the carrier after two years in the red.

Virgin Atlantic got an early Christmas present to the tune of $530 million. Delta Air Lines and the Virgin Group are pouring more money into the airline to support its continued recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aeromexico's exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection has become more complicated now that its unsecured creditors have objected to the plan the airline filed with a U.S. bankruptcy court. The plan undervalues the airline by $1 billion, the creditors claim.

The airline industry is taking a wait-and-see approach to the new Omicron variant. But the new variant is the latest indication that rolling travel restrictions and dips in demand in the wake of endemic Covid-19 outbreaks could be just become another facet of the airline business.

Delta Air Lines will continue flying its aging Boeing 757s and 767s as it waits to see if either Boeing or Airbus will design a new mid-market airplane. Even if either manufacturer did, it could take up to 10 years for a new airplane to go from the drawing board to the runway.

Fourth time’s a charm? Sara Nelson is the latest union leader to attempt to organize flight attendants at Delta Air Lines, which has a mostly non-union workforce. If it’s going to ever happen, the pandemic will be the catalyst to give Nelson a victory.

United CEO Scott Kirby is talking up his investments in product, and quality improvements at the carrier. But it will still be a steep challenge to beat Delta Air Lines, the longstanding leader on quality and margins in the U.S.

Delta and United showed off their marketing prowess with their expanded New York schedules. But the added flights are simply examples of the airlines protecting their access to key New York airports, and defending against the new American-JetBlue alliance.