Delta profit drops 20.8%

Bengaluru

Delta Air Lines Inc reported a 20.8 per cent fall in quarterly profit as operating expenses swelled, and the airline said it expected passenger unit revenue to rise between 2.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent in the current quarter.

The company’s net income fell to $1.22 billion, or $1.68 per share, in the second quarter ended June 30, from $1.55 billion, or $2.03 per share, a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, the No. 2 US airline by passenger traffic earned $1.64 per share. Total operating revenue rose 3.3 per cent to $10.79 billion.