Delta Air Lines reported a $549-million profit for the second quarter of 2010, excluding special items, making that period the carrier's best in a decade, officials said Monday.
The world's largest airline said its revenue rose 17% to nearly $8.2 billion for the quarter compared with a year earlier as passenger revenue grew by 19%, or $1.1 billion, and cargo revenue increased 22%, or $38 million. Increased baggage fees helped bring in another $24 million.
The airline reported a $467-million net profit, or 55 cents per share. The results included $90 million in profit sharing for employees, Delta said.
That compared with Delta's $256-million loss in the first quarter as the airline industry struggled with the recession and Delta continued to consolidate operations after its 2008 merger with Northwest Airlines.
"We expect to be solidly profitable for the full year," Delta CEO Richard Anderson said in a conference call with
sognber analysts and news media. "We're generating a lot of cash that we're using to pay down debt and strengthen our balance sheet."
