In the September 2024 quarter we amended our purchase agreement with Boeing and received an updated delivery schedule for our Boeing 737-10 orders. We now expect to take delivery of our first 20 aircraft in 2026 and 80 aircraft thereafter.
Segment results are prepared based on our internal accounting methods described below, with reconciliations to consolidated amounts in accordance with GAAP. Our segments are not designed to measure operating income or loss directly related to the products and services included in each segment on a stand-alone basis.
Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(in millions)
Airline
Refinery
Intersegment Sales/Other
Consolidated
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
Operating revenue
$
42,564
$
6,011
$
(2,491)
(1)
$
46,084
Depreciation and amortization
1,878
86
(86)
(2)
1,878
Operating income
4,202
76
(2)
—
4,278
Interest expense, net
567
3
(3)
567
Capital expenditures
3,783
47
—
3,830
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Operating revenue
$
41,008
$
6,274
$
(3,457)
(1)
$
43,825
Depreciation and amortization
1,731
69
(69)
(2)
1,731
Operating income
3,814
385
(2)
—
4,199
Interest expense, net
627
14
(14)
627
Capital expenditures
3,594
127
—
3,721
(1)See table below for detail of the intersegment operating revenue amounts.
(2)煉油段的運營結果,包括折舊和攤銷,在我們的利潤表中計入航空燃油和相關稅收。
Operating revenue intersegment sales/other
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
(in millions)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Sales to airline segment(1)
$
(369)
$
(385)
$
(1,147)
$
(1,346)
Exchanged products(2)
(349)
(519)
(1,147)
(1,848)
Sales of refined products
(111)
(47)
(197)
(263)
Total operating revenue intersegment sales/other
$
(829)
$
(951)
$
(2,491)
$
(3,457)
(1)Represents transfers, valued on a market price basis, from the refinery to the airline segment for use in airline operations. We determine market price for jet fuel from the refinery by reference to the market index for the primary delivery location, which is New York Harbor.
(2)Represents value of products delivered under our exchange agreements, as discussed above, determined on a market price basis.
NOTE 10. EARNINGS PER SHARE
We calculate basic earnings per share by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding restricted shares. We calculate diluted earnings per share by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the dilutive effect of outstanding share-based instruments, including stock options, restricted stock awards and warrants. Antidilutive common stock equivalents excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation are not material. The following table shows the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
Basic and diluted earnings per share
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
(in millions, except per share data)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Net income
$
1,272
$
1,108
$
2,614
$
2,572
Basic weighted average shares outstanding
641
639
640
639
Dilutive effect of share-based instruments
6
5
7
4
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding
647
644
647
643
Basic earnings per share
$
1.98
$
1.73
$
4.08
$
4.03
Diluted earnings per share
$
1.97
$
1.72
$
4.04
$
4.00
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
15
Item 2. MD&A
第2項。管理層對財務狀況和業績的討論和分析利潤表
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our audited Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included in our 2023 Form 10-K.
September 2024 Quarter Financial Highlights
Our operating income for the September 2024 quarter was$1.4 billion, a decrease of $587 million compared to the September 2023 quarter.
Revenue. Compared to the September 2023 quarter, our total revenue increased $189 million, or 1%, due to increased revenue related to refinery sales to third parties and a 4% increase in capacity. Passenger revenue was comparable to the September 2023 quarter on an increase in revenue for premium products and loyalty travel awards, offset by a decrease in main cabin ticket revenue. Total revenue, adjusted (a non-GAAP financial measure, which excludes revenue related to refinery sales to third parties) increased in the September 2024 quarter by $41 million compared to the September 2023 quarter.
In July 2024, our operations were significantly disrupted by the CrowdStrike-caused outage. We estimate that this disruption led to a direct revenue impact of approximately $380 million related to approximately 7,000 flight cancellations over five days, which reduced our expected year-over-year capacity growth in the quarter by approximately 1.5 percentage points.
Our total operating cost per available seat mile ("CASM") increased 2%compared to the September 2023 quarter, primarily for the same reasons as the increase in total operating expense. Non-fuel unit cost ("CASM-Ex", a non-GAAP financial measure) increased 5.7%.
Cash flows used in investing activities during the quarter totaled $1.1 billion primarily from capital expenditures. These operating and investing activities yielded free cash flow (a non-GAAP financial measure) of $95 million in the September 2024 quarter. Additionally, we had cash outflows of $263 million related to repayments of our debt and finance leases.
(1)Total amounts in the table above may not calculate exactly due to rounding.
(2)Total Revenue per available seat mile ("TRASM"), adjusted is a non-GAAP financial measure. For additional information on adjustments to TRASM, see "Supplemental Information" below.
See "Refinery Segment" below for additional details on the refinery's operations, including third party refinery sales.
Passenger Revenue by Geographic Region
Increase (Decrease)
vs. Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
(in millions)
Three Months Ended September 30, 2024
Passenger Revenue
RPMs(Traffic)
ASMs(Capacity)
Passenger Mile Yield
PRASM
Load Factor
Domestic
$
8,652
—
%
2
%
3
%
(2)
%
(3)
%
(1)
pt
Atlantic
3,029
(3)
%
—
%
(1)
%
(3)
%
(2)
%
1
pt
Latin America
779
(1)
%
6
%
6
%
(6)
%
(6)
%
—
pts
Pacific
647
16
%
33
%
38
%
(13)
%
(16)
%
(3)
pts
Total
$
13,107
—
%
3
%
4
%
(3)
%
(4)
%
(1)
pt
Domestic
Domestic passenger revenue was consistent between the September 2024 quarter and the September 2023 quarter on a 3% increase in capacity and a slight decrease in load factor. We experienced strong revenue results across the domestic network, with premium revenue growing more than main cabin revenue compared to the prior year period.
International
International passenger revenue for the September 2024 quarter was consistent with the September 2023 quarter. The Atlantic region benefited from improved demand for travel to Paris following the summer Olympics. Our Latin America revenue reflects the continued maturation of our joint venture with LATAM in South America, while network restoration continues in the Pacific, with double-digit revenue growth driven by travel to South Korea and Japan.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
17
Item 2. MD&A - Results of Operations
Other Revenue
Three Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
% Increase (Decrease)
(in millions)
2024
2023
Refinery
$
1,083
$
935
$
148
16
%
Loyalty program
820
791
29
4
%
Ancillary businesses
161
212
(51)
(24)
%
Miscellaneous
310
277
33
12
%
Other revenue
$
2,374
$
2,215
$
159
7
%
Refinery. Refinery sales to third partiesincreased$148 million compared to the September 2023 quarter. See "Refinery Segment" below for additional details on the refinery's operations, including third party refinery sales.
Loyalty Program. This relates to revenues from brand usage by third parties and other performance obligations embedded in miles sold, as well as redemption of miles for non-air travel and other awards. These revenues are mainly driven by customer spend on American Express cards and new cardholder acquisitions. Revenues from our relationship with American Express increased compared to the September 2023 quarter due to increased co-brand card spend and card account acquisitions.
Ancillary Businesses. This includes revenues from aircraft maintenance services we provide to third parties and our vacation wholesale operations. The decrease in revenues compared to the September 2023 quarter was driven by lower aircraft maintenance services revenue during the September 2024 quarter.
Miscellaneous. This is primarily composed of revenues related to lounge access, including access provided to certain American Express cardholders, codeshare agreements and certain other commercial relationships. The increase in revenues compared to the September 2023 quarter was primarily driven by codeshare agreements and other commercial relationships.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
18
Item 2. MD&A - Results of Operations
Operating Expense
Three Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
% Increase (Decrease)
(in millions)
2024
2023
Salaries and related costs
$
4,231
$
3,760
$
471
13
%
Aircraft fuel and related taxes
2,747
2,936
(189)
(6)
%
Ancillary businesses and refinery
1,250
1,128
122
11
%
Contracted services
1,069
1,004
65
6
%
Landing fees and other rents
832
679
153
23
%
Aircraft maintenance materials and outside repairs
627
661
(34)
(5)
%
Depreciation and amortization
643
594
49
8
%
Passenger commissions and other selling expenses
643
618
25
4
%
Regional carrier expense
600
546
54
10
%
Passenger service
463
449
14
3
%
Profit sharing
320
417
(97)
(23)
%
Aircraft rent
137
131
6
5
%
Other
718
581
137
24
%
Total operating expense
$
14,280
$
13,504
$
776
6
%
Salaries and Related Costs. The increase in salaries and related costs primarily resulted from the implementation of base pay increases for eligible employees of 5% effective June 1, 2024 and for Delta pilots on January 1, 2024. In June 2024 we also increased our minimum starting wage for domestic mainline employees to $19 per hour. Salaries and related costs also increased due to additional crew-related costs resulting from the CrowdStrike-caused outage.
Aircraft Fuel and Related Taxes. Aircraft fuel and related taxes decreased$189 million compared to the September 2023 quarter primarily due to a 13%decrease in the market price of jet fuel offset by a 3% increase in consumption on a 4%increase in capacity. Fuel expense was also approximately $50 million lower than it would have been as a result of the 7,000 flight cancellations over the five-day period following the CrowdStrike-caused outage. We continue to expect that fuel consumption for the remainder of 2024 will increase compared to 2023 aligned with capacity, partially offset by increases in the fuel efficiency of our fleet. The refinery generated an operating loss resulting in incremental cost of three cents per gallon compared to a benefit of 11 cents per gallon in the September 2023 quarter. We expect jet fuel prices to remain volatile throughout the remainder of 2024 and into 2025.
See "Refinery Segment" below for additional details on the refinery's operations.
Fuel expense and average price per gallon
Average Price Per Gallon
Three Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
Three Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
(in millions, except per gallon data)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Fuel purchase cost(1)
$
2,738
$
3,076
$
(338)
$
2.50
$
2.89
$
(0.39)
Fuel hedge impact
(24)
(21)
(3)
(0.02)
(0.02)
—
Refinery segment impact
33
(119)
152
0.03
(0.11)
0.14
Total fuel expense
$
2,747
$
2,936
$
(189)
$
2.51
$
2.76
$
(0.25)
(1)Market price for jet fuel at airport locations, including related taxes and transportation costs.
Ancillary Businesses and Refinery. Ancillary businesses and refinery includes expenses associated with refinery sales to third parties, aircraft maintenance services we provide to third parties and our vacation wholesale operations. Refinery sales to third parties increased $148 million compared to the September 2023 quarter. See "Refinery Segment" below for additional details on the refinery's operations, including third party refinery sales.
Landing Fees and Other Rents. The increase in landing fees and other rents primarily resulted from higher rates charged by airports following extensive redevelopment projects at numerous facilities and more flights compared to the September 2023 quarter that contributed to our increased capacity.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
19
Item 2. MD&A - Results of Operations
Profit Sharing. Profit sharing decreased by $97 million compared to the September 2023 quarter due to lower projected profit for the year. Our profit sharing program pays 10% to all eligible employees for the first $2.5 billion of annual profit, as defined by the terms of the program, and 20% of annual profit above $2.5 billion.
Other. The increase in other is primarily due to the impact of service recovery costs including customer expense reimbursements from the CrowdStrike-caused outage and higher volume-related expenses associated with increased capacity, such as flight crew and other employee travel and incidental costs.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
20
Item 2. MD&A - Results of Operations
Results of Operations - Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 and 2023
Total Operating Revenue
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
% Increase (Decrease)
(in millions)(1)
2024
2023
Ticket - Main cabin
$
18,450
$
18,538
$
(88)
—
%
Ticket - Premium products
15,377
14,263
1,114
8
%
Loyalty travel awards
2,798
2,547
251
10
%
Travel-related services
1,454
1,387
67
5
%
Passenger revenue
$
38,079
$
36,735
$
1,344
4
%
Cargo
574
535
39
7
%
Other
7,431
6,555
876
13
%
Total operating revenue
$
46,084
$
43,825
$
2,259
5
%
TRASM (cents)
21.30
¢
21.53
¢
(0.23)
¢
(1)
%
Third-party refinery sales
(1.63)
(1.38)
(0.25)
18
%
TRASM, adjusted(2)
19.67
¢
20.14
¢
(0.47)
¢
(2)
%
(1)Total amounts in the table above may not calculate exactly due to rounding.
(2)TRASM, adjusted is a non-GAAP financial measure. For additional information on adjustments to TRASM, see "Supplemental Information" below.
Unless otherwise discussed below, the changes in total revenue line items, as well as the underlying reasons for these changes, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023 are consistent with the discussion above under Results of Operations - Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.
Compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023, total revenue increased $2.3 billion, or 5%, due primarily to a 6% increase in capacity resulting from strength in travel demand, particularly for our premium products and increased revenue related to refinery sales to third parties, partially offset by a decrease in main cabin ticket revenue.
Passenger Revenue by Geographic Region
Increase (Decrease)
vs. Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
(in millions)
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
Passenger Revenue
RPMs(Traffic)
ASMs(Capacity)
Passenger Mile Yield
PRASM
Load Factor
Domestic
$
26,033
3
%
5
%
4
%
(1)
%
(1)
%
—
pts
Atlantic
7,159
—
%
1
%
1
%
(1)
%
(1)
%
—
pts
Latin America
3,008
6
%
17
%
18
%
(10)
%
(10)
%
—
pts
Pacific
1,879
23
%
32
%
34
%
(7)
%
(9)
%
(2)
pts
Total
$
38,079
4
%
6
%
6
%
(3)
%
(2)
%
—
pts
Domestic passenger revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 increased on higher capacity compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023. International passenger revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 increased 4% on 10% higher capacity compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023 due to strong demand for international travel, particularly to leisure destinations. The Pacific and Latin America regions accounted for the majority of international capacity growth on continued network restoration in the Pacific and the continued maturation of our joint venture with LATAM in South America.
Other Revenue
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
% Increase (Decrease)
(in millions)
2024
2023
Refinery
$
3,520
$
2,817
$
703
25
%
Loyalty program
2,451
2,291
160
7
%
Ancillary businesses
554
657
(103)
(16)
%
Miscellaneous
906
790
116
15
%
Other revenue
$
7,431
$
6,555
$
876
13
%
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
21
Item 2. MD&A - Results of Operations
Operating Expense
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
% Increase (Decrease)(1)
(in millions)
2024
2023
Salaries and related costs
$
12,035
$
10,838
$
1,197
11
%
Aircraft fuel and related taxes
8,157
8,128
29
—
%
Ancillary businesses and refinery
4,083
3,427
656
19
%
Contracted services
3,134
3,009
125
4
%
Landing fees and other rents
2,347
1,880
467
25
%
Aircraft maintenance materials and outside repairs
1,990
1,860
130
7
%
Depreciation and amortization
1,878
1,731
147
8
%
Passenger commissions and other selling expenses
1,865
1,770
95
5
%
Regional carrier expense
1,731
1,664
67
4
%
Passenger service
1,339
1,307
32
2
%
Profit sharing
964
1,084
(120)
(11)
%
Aircraft rent
411
395
16
4
%
Pilot agreement and related expenses
—
864
(864)
NM
Other
1,872
1,669
203
12
%
Total operating expense
$
41,806
$
39,626
$
2,180
6
%
(1)Certain variances are labeled as not meaningful ("NM") throughout management's discussion and analysis.
Unless otherwise discussed below, the changes in operating expense line items, as well as the underlying reasons for these changes, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023 are consistent with the discussion above under Results of Operations - Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.
Aircraft Fuel and Related Taxes. Aircraft fuel and related taxesincreased $29 million compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2023 due to a 5% increase in consumption on a 6% increase in capacity partially offset by an 8% decrease in the market price per gallon of jet fuel. The refinery also provided a benefit of two cents per gallon compared to a benefit of 13 cents per gallon in the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
See "Refinery Segment" below for additional details on the refinery's operations.
Fuel expense and average price per gallon
Average Price Per Gallon
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
(in millions, except per gallon data)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Fuel purchase cost(1)
$
8,229
$
8,572
$
(343)
$
2.66
$
2.91
$
(0.25)
Fuel hedge impact
4
(59)
63
—
(0.02)
0.02
Refinery segment impact
(76)
(385)
309
(0.02)
(0.13)
0.11
Total fuel expense
$
8,157
$
8,128
$
29
$
2.64
$
2.76
$
(0.12)
(1)Market price for jet fuel at airport locations, including related taxes and transportation costs.
Pilot Agreement and Related Expenses. In the March 2023 quarter, Delta pilots ratified a new four-year Pilot Working Agreement effective January 1, 2023. The agreement includes numerous work rule changes and pay rate increases during the four-year term, including an initial pay rate increase of 18%. The agreement also includes a provision for a one-time payment made upon ratification in the March 2023 quarter of $735 million. Additionally, we recorded adjustments to other benefit-related items of approximately $130 million.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
22
Item 2. MD&A - Non-Operating Results
Non-Operating Results
Three Months Ended September 30,
Favorable (Unfavorable)
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Favorable (Unfavorable)
(in millions)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Interest expense, net
$
(173)
$
(196)
$
23
$
(567)
$
(627)
$
60
Gain/(loss) on investments, net
350
(206)
556
(73)
45
(118)
Loss on extinguishment of debt
—
(13)
13
(36)
(63)
27
Miscellaneous, net
(13)
(48)
35
(146)
(221)
75
Total non-operating expense, net
$
164
$
(463)
$
627
$
(822)
$
(866)
$
44
Interest expense, net. Interest expense, net includes interest expense and interest income. This decreased compared to the prior year primarily due to reduced interest expense resulting from our debt reduction initiatives. During 2023, we made payments of approximately $4.1 billion related to our debt and finance lease obligations. We have continued to pay down our debt during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 with $2.4 billion of payments on debt and finance lease obligations, including approximately $900 million of early repayments. This included early extinguishment of $744 million in principal related to a portion of the SkyMiles Term Loan and various secured and unsecured notes, and approximately $150 million on finance leases that were scheduled to be paid later in 2024. We continue to seek opportunities to pre-pay our debt, in addition to periodic amortization and scheduled maturities.
Gain/(loss) on investments, net. Changes in the valuation of investments accounted for at fair value are recorded in gain/(loss) on investments, net and are driven by changes in stock prices, foreign currency fluctuations and other valuation techniques for investments in certain companies, particularly those without publicly-traded shares. See Note 4 of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on our equity investments measured at fair value on a recurring basis.
Loss on extinguishment of debt. Loss on extinguishment of debt reflects the losses incurred in the early repayment of certain loans and notes.
Miscellaneous, net. Miscellaneous, net primarily includes employee benefit plans net periodic cost, charitable contributions, our share of our equity method investments' results and foreign exchange gains/(losses).
Income Taxes
We project our annual effective tax rate for 2024 will be between 24% and 26%. In certain periods, we may have adjustments to our net deferred tax liabilities as a result of changes in prior year estimates, mark-to-market adjustments on our equity investments and tax laws enacted during the period, which will impact the effective tax rate for that period.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
23
Item 2. MD&A - Refinery Segment
Refinery Segment
The refinery operated by Monroe primarily produces gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Monroe exchanges non-jet fuel products the refinery produces with third parties for jet fuel consumed in our airline operations. The jet fuel produced and procured through exchanging gasoline and diesel fuel produced by the refinery typically provides approximately 200,000 barrels per day, or approximately 75% of our consumption, for use in our airline operations. The refinery regularly optimizes its sales and exchange activities based on market conditions. The refinery generated lower operating income in the nine months ended September 30, 2024 compared to operating income in the nine months ended September 30, 2023, primarily as a result of lower pricing.
For more information regarding the refinery's results, see Note 9 of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
Refinery segment financial information
Three Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Increase (Decrease)
(in millions, except per gallon data)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Exchanged products
$
349
$
519
$
(170)
$
1,147
$
1,848
$
(701)
Sales of refined products
111
47
64
197
263
(66)
Sales to airline segment
369
385
(16)
1,147
1,346
(199)
Third party refinery sales
1,083
935
148
3,520
2,817
703
Operating revenue
$
1,912
$
1,886
$
26
$
6,011
$
6,274
$
(263)
Operating (loss)/income
$
(33)
$
119
$
(152)
$
76
$
385
$
(309)
Refinery segment impact on airline average price per fuel gallon
$
0.03
$
(0.11)
$
0.14
$
(0.02)
$
(0.13)
$
0.11
Operating Statistics
Three Months Ended September 30,
% Increase (Decrease)
Nine Months Ended September 30,
% Increase (Decrease)
Consolidated(1)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Revenue passenger miles (in millions) ("RPM")
66,310
64,095
3
%
185,757
174,586
6
%
Available seat miles (in millions) ("ASM")
76,162
73,226
4
%
216,360
203,571
6
%
Passenger mile yield
19.77
¢
20.47
¢
(3)
%
20.50
¢
21.04
¢
(3)
%
Passenger revenue per available seat mile ("PRASM")
17.21
¢
17.92
¢
(4)
%
17.60
¢
18.05
¢
(2)
%
Total revenue per available seat mile ("TRASM")
20.58
¢
21.15
¢
(3)
%
21.30
¢
21.53
¢
(1)
%
TRASM, adjusted(2)
19.16
¢
19.87
¢
(3.6)
%
19.67
¢
20.14
¢
(2)
%
Cost per available seat mile ("CASM")
18.75
¢
18.44
¢
2
%
19.32
¢
19.47
¢
(1)
%
CASM-Ex(2)
13.30
¢
12.59
¢
5.7
%
13.48
¢
13.13
¢
3
%
Passenger load factor
87
%
88
%
(1)
pt
86
%
86
%
—
pts
Fuel gallons consumed (in millions)
1,096
1,062
3
%
3,093
2,947
5
%
Average price per fuel gallon(3)
$
2.51
$
2.76
(9)
%
$
2.64
$
2.76
(4)
%
Average price per fuel gallon, adjusted(2)(3)
$
2.53
$
2.78
(9)
%
$
2.64
$
2.78
(5)
%
(1)Includes the operations of our regional carriers under capacity purchase agreements.
(2)Non-GAAP financial measures defined and reconciled to TRASM, CASM and average fuel price per gallon, respectively, in "Supplemental Information" below.
(3)Includes the impact of fuel hedge activity and refinery segment results.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
24
Item 2. MD&A - Fleet Information
Fleet Information
Our operating aircraft fleet, purchase commitments and options at September 30, 2024 are summarized in the following table.
Mainline aircraft information by fleet type
Current Fleet(1)
Commitments
Fleet Type
Owned
Finance Lease
Operating Lease
Total
Average Age (Years)
Purchase
Options
A220-100
45
—
—
45
4.8
A220-300
26
—
—
26
2.1
74
A319-100
57
—
—
57
22.6
A320-200
57
—
—
57
28.8
A321-200
70
15
42
127
5.8
A321-200neo
64
—
—
64
1.3
91
70
A330-200
11
—
—
11
19.5
A330-300
28
—
3
31
15.7
A330-900neo
23
2
5
30
2.5
9
10
A350-900
22
—
11
33
5.0
11
10
A350-1000
—
—
—
—
—
20
B-717-200
10
70
—
80
23.0
B-737-800
73
4
—
77
23.0
B-737-900ER
114
—
49
163
8.7
B-737-10
—
—
—
—
—
100
30
B-757-200
93
—
—
93
26.8
B-757-300
16
—
—
16
21.6
B-767-300ER
41
—
—
41
28.2
B-767-400ER
21
—
—
21
23.7
Total
771
91
110
972
14.9
305
120
(1)Excludes certain aircraft we own or lease that are operated by regional carriers on our behalf shown in the table below.
In the September 2024 quarter we amended our purchase agreement with Boeing and received an updated delivery schedule for our Boeing 737-10 orders. We now expect to take delivery of our first 20 aircraft in 2026 and 80 aircraft thereafter.
The table below summarizes the aircraft operated by regional carriers on our behalf at September 30, 2024.
Regional aircraft information by fleet type and carrier
Fleet Type(1)(2)
Carrier
CRJ-700
CRJ-900
Embraer 170
Embraer 175
Total
Endeavor Air, Inc.(3)
9
121
—
—
130
SkyWest Airlines, Inc.
8
36
—
86
130
Republic Airways, Inc.
—
—
11
46
57
Total
17
157
11
132
317
(1)We own 194 and have operating leases for two of these regional aircraft. The remainder are owned or leased by SkyWest Airlines, Inc. or Republic Airways, Inc.
(2)Excluded from the total operating count above are nine CRJ-700 and two CRJ-900 aircraft which are owned and temporarily parked as of September 30, 2024.
(3)Endeavor Air, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
25
Item 2. MD&A - Financial Condition and Liquidity
Financial Condition and Liquidity
As of September 30, 2024, we had $6.9 billion in cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and aggregate undrawn principal amount available under our revolving credit facilities. We expect to meet our liquidity needs for the next twelve months with cash and cash equivalents and cash flows from operations. We expect to meet our long-term liquidity needs with cash flows from operations and financing arrangements.
Undrawn Lines of Credit. As of September 30, 2024, we had approximately $2.9 billion undrawn and available under our revolving credit facilities.
Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Operating Activities
We generated cash flows from operations of $6.1 billion and $5.9 billion in the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We expect to continue generating positive cash flows from operations during the remainder of 2024.
Our operating cash flow is impacted by the following factors:
Seasonality of Advance Ticket Sales. We sell tickets for air travel in advance of the customer's travel date. When we receive a cash payment at the time of sale, we record the cash received on advance sales as deferred revenue in air traffic liability. The air traffic liability typically increases during the winter and spring months as advance ticket sales grow prior to the summer peak travel season and decreases during the summer and fall months.
Fuel. Fuel expense represented approximately 20% and 21% of our total operating expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The market price for jet fuel is volatile, which can impact the comparability of our periodic cash flows from operations. For example, the market price for jet fuel was 13% lower in the September 2024 quarter compared to the September 2023 quarter after it was 5% higher in the June 2024 quarter compared to the June 2023 quarter. Fuel consumption was higher during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 compared to the prior year periods due to the increase in capacity. We continue to expect that fuel consumption for the remainder of 2024 will increase compared to 2023 aligned with capacity, partially offset by increases in the fuel efficiency of our fleet.
Profit Sharing. We paid $1.4 billion in profit sharing payments in February 2024 related to our 2023 pre-tax profit in recognition of our employees' contributions toward achieving the year's financial results. This is an increase compared to our profit sharing payment made in February 2023 of $563 million related to our 2022 pre-tax profit.
Our broad-based employee profit sharing program provides that for each year in which we have an annual pre-tax profit, as defined by the terms of the program, we will pay a specified portion of that profit to eligible employees. In determining the amount of profit sharing, the program defines profit as pre-tax profit adjusted for profit sharing and certain other items. During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we accrued $964 million in profit sharing expense based on the year-to-date performance and current expectations for 2024 profit.
Sale of Miles to Participating Companies. Customers earn miles based on their spending with participating companies such as credit card, retail, ridesharing, car rental and hotel companies with which we have marketing agreements to sell miles. Payments are typically due to us monthly based on the volume of miles sold during the period. Our most significant contract to sell miles relates to our co-brand credit card relationship with American Express. Total cash sales to American Express were $5.4 billion in the nine months ended September 30, 2024, an increase of 6% compared to the prior year period. See Note 2 of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding the cash sales from marketing agreements.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
26
Item 2. MD&A - Financial Condition and Liquidity
Investing Activities
Short-Term Investments. During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we redeemed a net of$1.1 billion in short-term investments. See Note 3 of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on these investments.
Capital Expenditures. Our capital expenditures were $3.8 billionand $3.7 billionfor the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We have committed to future aircraft purchases and have obtained, but are under no obligation to use, long-term financing commitments for a substantial portion of the purchase price of the aircraft. Our expected 2024 capital spend of approximately $5.0 billion, excluding the New York-LaGuardia airport project discussed below, will be primarily for aircraft, including deliveries and advance deposit payments, as well as fleet modifications and technology enhancements.
New York-LaGuardia Redevelopment. As part of the terminal redevelopment project at LaGuardia Airport, we are partnering with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to replace Terminals C and D with a new state-of-the-art terminal facility. Construction is ongoing with completion expected by the end of 2024.
Using funding primarily provided by existing financing arrangements and other sources of funding, we expect to spend approximately $350 million on this project during 2024, of which $237 million was incurred in the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
Financing Activities
Debt and Finance Leases. In the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we had cash outflows of $2.4 billion related to repayments of our debt and finance lease obligations, including approximately $900 million of early repayments. This included early extinguishment of $744 million in principal related to a portion of the SkyMiles Term Loan and various secured and unsecured notes, and approximately $150 million on finance leases that were scheduled to be paid later in 2024. We continue to seek opportunities to pre-pay our debt, in addition to periodic amortization and scheduled maturities.
In February 2024, Moody's credit rating agency affirmed our credit rating and upgraded its outlook for Delta to positive. In July 2024, Fitch upgraded Delta's credit rating to BBB-, an investment-grade metric. See Note 5 of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on the effect of these ratings changes on our debt agreements.
Capital Return to Shareholders. On August 20, 2024, we paid the dividend previously declared in the June 2024 quarter for total cash dividends of $96 million. Total cash dividends for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 were $225 million.
On September 19, 2024, the Board of Directors approved and we will pay a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share on October 31, 2024 to shareholders of record as of October 10, 2024.
Covenants. We were in compliance with the covenants in our debt agreements at September 30, 2024.
Critical Accounting Estimates
There have been no material changes in our Critical Accounting Estimates from the information provided in the "Critical Accounting Estimates" section of "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Form 10-K.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
27
Item 2. MD&A - Supplemental Information
Supplemental Information
We sometimes use information (non-GAAP financial measures) that is derived from the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, but that is not presented in accordance with GAAP. Under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules, non-GAAP financial measures may be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for or superior to GAAP results.
Included below are reconciliations of non-GAAP measures used within this Form 10-Q to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations below may not calculate exactly due to rounding. These reconciliations include certain adjustments to GAAP measures to provide comparability between the reported periods, if applicable, and for the reasons indicated below:
•Third-party refinery sales. Refinery sales to third parties, and related expenses, are not related to our airline segment. Excluding these sales therefore provides a more meaningful comparison of our airline operations to the rest of the airline industry.
•MTM adjustments and settlements on hedges. Mark-to-market ("MTM") adjustments are defined as fair value changes recorded in periods other than the settlement period. Such fair value changes are not necessarily indicative of the actual settlement value of the underlying hedge in the contract settlement period, and therefore we remove this impact to allow investors to better understand and analyze our core performance. Settlements represent cash received or paid on hedge contracts settled during the applicable period.
•Aircraft fuel and related taxes. The volatility in fuel prices impacts the comparability of year-over-year financial performance. The adjustment for aircraft fuel and related taxes allows investors to better understand and analyze our non-fuel costs and year-over-year financial performance.
•Profit sharing. We adjust for profit sharing because this adjustment allows investors to better understand and analyze our recurring cost performance and provides a more meaningful comparison of our core operating costs to the airline industry.
•One-time pilot agreement expenses. In the March 2023 quarter, Delta pilots ratified a new four-year Pilot Working Agreement effective January 1, 2023. The agreement included a provision for a one-time payment made upon ratification in the March 2023 quarter of $735 million. Additionally, we recorded adjustments to other benefit-related items of approximately $130 million. Adjusting for these expenses allows investors to better understand and analyze our core cost performance.
Total revenue, adjusted reconciliation
Three Months Ended September 30,
(in millions)
2024
2023
Total revenue
$
15,677
$
15,488
Adjusted for:
Third-party refinery sales
(1,083)
(935)
Total revenue, adjusted
$
14,594
$
14,553
Operating expense, adjusted reconciliation
Three Months Ended September 30,
(in millions)
2024
2023
Operating expense
$
14,280
$
13,504
Adjusted for:
Third-party refinery sales
(1,083)
(935)
MTM adjustments and settlements on hedges
24
21
Operating expense, adjusted
$
13,221
$
12,590
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
28
Item 2. MD&A - Supplemental Information
Fuel expense, adjusted reconciliation
Average Price Per Gallon
Three Months Ended September 30,
Three Months Ended September 30,
(in millions, except per gallon data)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Total fuel expense
$
2,747
$
2,936
$
2.51
$
2.76
Adjusted for:
MTM adjustments and settlements on hedges
24
21
0.02
0.02
Total fuel expense, adjusted
$
2,771
$
2,957
$
2.53
$
2.78
Average Price Per Gallon
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
(in millions, except per gallon data)
2024
2023
2024
2023
Total fuel expense
$
8,157
$
8,128
$
2.64
$
2.76
Adjusted for:
MTM adjustments and settlements on hedges
(4)
59
—
0.02
Total fuel expense, adjusted
$
8,153
$
8,188
$
2.64
$
2.78
TRASM, adjusted reconciliation
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
TRASM (cents)
20.58
¢
21.15
¢
21.30
¢
21.53
¢
Adjusted for:
Third-party refinery sales
(1.42)
(1.28)
(1.63)
(1.38)
TRASM, adjusted
19.16
¢
19.87
¢
19.67
¢
20.14
¢
CASM-Ex reconciliation
Three Months Ended September 30,
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
CASM (cents)
18.75
¢
18.44
¢
19.32
¢
19.47
¢
Adjusted for:
Aircraft fuel and related taxes
(3.61)
(4.01)
(3.77)
(4.00)
Third-party refinery sales
(1.42)
(1.28)
(1.63)
(1.38)
Profit sharing
(0.42)
(0.57)
(0.45)
(0.53)
One-time pilot agreement expenses
—
—
—
(0.42)
CASM-Ex
13.30
¢
12.59
¢
13.48
¢
13.13
¢
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
29
Item 2. MD&A - Supplemental Information
Free Cash Flow
The following table shows a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating and used in investing activities (GAAP measures) to free cash flow (a non-GAAP financial measure). We present free cash flow because management believes this metric is helpful to investors to evaluate the company's ability to generate cash that is available for use for debt service or general corporate initiatives. Adjustments include:
•Net redemptions of short-term investments. Net redemptions of short-term investments represent the net purchase and sale activity of investments and marketable securities in the period, including gains and losses. We adjust for this activity to provide investors a better understanding of the company's free cash flow generated by our operations.
•Net cash flows related to certain airport construction projects and other. Cash flows related to certain airport construction projects are included in our GAAP operating activities and capital expenditures. We have adjusted for these items because management believes investors should be informed that a portion of these capital expenditures from airport construction projects are either reimbursed by a third party or funded with restricted cash specific to these projects.
Free cash flow reconciliation
(in millions)
Three Months Ended September 30,
2024
Net cash provided by operating activities
$
1,274
Net cash used in investing activities
(1,123)
Adjusted for:
Net redemptions of short-term investments
(117)
Net cash flows related to certain airport construction projects and other
61
Free cash flow
$
95
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
30
Item 3. Market Risk
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
There have been no material changes in market risk from the information provided in "Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" in our Form 10-K.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, performed an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures, which have been designed to permit us to identify and disclose important information timely and effectively. Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that the controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2024 to ensure that material information was accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
During the three months ended September 30, 2024, we did not make any changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
"Item 3. Legal Proceedings" of our Form 10-K includes a discussion of our legal proceedings. There have been no material changes from the legal proceedings described in our Form 10-K.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
“Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our Form 10-K includes a discussion of our known material risk factors, other than risks that could apply to any issuer or offering. The information presented below updates, and should be read in conjunction with, the risk factors and information disclosed in our Form 10-K. Except as presented below, there have been no material changes from the risk factors described in our Form 10-K.
Disruptions of our information technology infrastructure could interfere with our operations, possibly having a material adverse effect on our business.
Disruptions in our information technology capability could result from a technology error or failure impacting our internal systems, whether hosted internally at our data centers or externally at third-party locations, or large-scale external interruption in technology infrastructure support on which we depend, such as power, telecommunications or the internet. The operation of our technology systems and the use of related data may also be vulnerable to a variety of other sources of interruption, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, hackers and other security issues. A significant individual, sustained or repeated failure of our information technology infrastructure, including third-party networks, software-as-a-service applications, cloud services, or technology that we utilize and on which we depend, could impact our operations and our customer service, result in loss of revenue, increased costs and damage our reputation. While we have initiatives and disaster recovery plans in place to prevent or mitigate disruptions, we recently experienced a global outage caused by a faulty update by cybersecurity vendor CrowdStrike in July 2024 that resulted in global information technology outages of Windows-based systems. The faulty software update significantly affected our information technology systems, disrupting our operations. The operational disruption resulted in flight delays and approximately 7,000 cancellations of Delta flights over five days, impacting 1.4 million customers. The CrowdStrike-caused outage and resulting operational disruption adversely impacted our results of operations as discussed in more detail in “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis.” While we continue to invest in improvements to our preventative initiatives and disaster recovery plans, the measures we have in place may not be adequate to prevent future business disruptions and any material adverse financial and reputational consequences to our business.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
31
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Failure of the technology we use to perform effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are dependent on technology initiatives and capabilities to provide customer service and operational effectiveness in order to compete in the current business environment. For example, substantially all of our tickets are issued to our customers as electronic tickets, and a growing number of our customers check in using our website, airport kiosks and our FlyDelta mobile application. We have made and continue to make significant investments in customer facing technology such as delta.com, the FlyDelta mobile application, in-flight wireless internet, check-in kiosks, customer service applications, application of biometric technology, airport information displays and related initiatives, including security for these initiatives. We are also investing in significant upgrades to technology infrastructure and other supporting systems and transitioning to cloud-based technologies. The performance, reliability and security of the technology we use are critical to our ability to serve customers. If this technology does not perform effectively, including as a result of the implementation or integration of new or upgraded technologies or systems, our business and operations can be negatively affected, which could be material. As discussed above, the faulty CrowdStrike software update that resulted in global information technology outages of Windows-based systems in July 2024 significantly affected our information technology systems, disrupting our operations. The operational disruption resulted in flight delays and approximately 7,000 cancellations of Delta flights over five days, impacting 1.4 million customers. Additional failures of the technology we use or depend on could expose us to liability, disrupt our business and damage our reputation in the future.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
The following table presents information with respect to purchases of common stock we made during the September 2024 quarter. The table reflects shares withheld from employees to satisfy certain tax obligations due in connection with grants of stock under the Delta Air Lines, Inc. Performance Compensation Plan (the "Plan"). The Plan provides for the withholding of shares to satisfy tax obligations. It does not specify a maximum number of shares that can be withheld for this purpose. The shares of common stock withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations may be deemed to be "issuer purchases" of shares that are required to be disclosed pursuant to this Item.
Shares purchased / withheld from employee awards during the September 2024 quarter
Period
Total Number of Shares Purchased
Average Price Paid Per Share
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans
Approximate Dollar Value (in millions) of Shares That May Yet be Purchased Under the Plan
Inline XBRL Instance Document - The instance document does not appear in the interactive data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
The cover page from this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, formatted in Inline XBRL (included in Exhibit 101)
*
Incorporated by reference.
**
Portions of this exhibit have been omitted as confidential information.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. | September 2024 Form 10-Q
33
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.