Delta CEO Ed Bastian Says Domestic Rivals Earn 3% On Invested Capital, Against Delta's 11%
On the earnings call, Bastian said "you cannot grow your way out of it" as Delta set full-year earnings of $5.10 to $5.60 a share.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said on the company's September-quarter earnings call that its return on invested capital is 11%, while the rest of the domestic industry sits at 3%. Delta also set full-year earnings guidance of $5.10 to $5.60 a share, with fuel costs up roughly $6 billion this year.
Bastian said a clearer view of oil prices in a few months will shape Delta's 2027 capacity plans, and that the industry's fuel-driven capacity decisions will continue next year.
Sources
- Delta Air Lines Expects to Absorb $6 Billion Increase in Fuel Costs, Lowers 2026 Profit Outlook — skift.com
- Delta Air Lines (DAL) Q3 2026 earnings — CNBC
- Delta reports Q3 earnings miss, cuts guidance as fuel costs surge 62% from year ago — Yahoo Finance
- Delta cuts profit forecast amid US$6 billion fuel-cost surge — Bloomberg
- Delta Air Lines Announces September Quarter 2026 Financial Results – Company Announcement - FT.com — Financial Times
