Delta Air Lines lost $1.2 billion in the first quarter but executives said Thursday that the airline could be profitable by late summer if the budding recovery in air travel continues.
CEO Ed Bastian said Thursday that ticket sales have been stronger in the last two weeks than at any time since the pandemic hit the U.S.
last year. Right now it’s mostly vacationers booking trips to mountains, beaches and resorts, but he expects business travel to come back by late summer or fall as more Americans are vaccinated against COVID-19. “It’s clear that our business is turning the corner and we’re moving into an active recovery phase,” Bastian said in an interview. “We see the business continuing to improve as consumer confidence grows.” Several