Delta Air Lines is benefiting from strong demand for air travel this summer and the grounding of Boeing Max planes at key rivals to post record revenue and a bigger profit.
The airline is aggressively adding flights and seats, but it is finding more than enough passengers to fill them, leading to even more crowded planes during the peak vacation season.
Five of the 10 busiest days in Delta’s history have occurred in the past month, CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview.
“Demand is going to continue to stay strong,” Bastian said. “Our advance bookings are healthy, and it should be a good third quarter.”
Delta said Thursday that second-quarter profit jumped 39% to $1.44 billion. The results beat Wall Street expectations, and the airline raised its forecast of full-year earnings.