Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Airlines, speaking on CNBC’s Power Lunch on Dec. 17th, 2024.
Adam Jeffery | CNBC
Delta Air Lines‘ first-quarter outlook on Friday topped analyst expectations as the carrier forecast strong travel demand to start the year, which CEO Ed Bastian said will likely be the carrier’s best ever.
Delta said it expects to generate more than $4 billion in free cash this year, up 18% from 2024 and in the midpoint of its annual target of between $3 billion and $5 billion. For the full year, it expects annual adjusted earnings more than of $7.35 per share.
“We feel quite good coming into the new year,” Bastian told CNBC. “Everywhere, we see consumers continue to prioritize experience over goods.”
That is setting up Delta for “our best financial year in our history,” Bastian added.
Here’s how the company performed in the three months ended Dec. 31 compared with Wall Street expectations based on consensus estimates from…
