Delta CEO Ed Bastian Says Airline Operations Unaffected By Federal Government Shutdown: Report

Delta Air Lines (DAL) CEO Ed Bastian reportedly stated that, despite a federal government shutdown, the airline’s operations were running smoothly.

In an interview with CNBC, Bastian noted that Delta has not experienced “any impacts at all” resulting from the shutdown but said a quick resolution was needed. The report added that during the shutdown, over 13,000 U.S. flights were delayed this week, with many of the delays resulting from shortages in air traffic controllers.

According to the report, Bastian said there were intensifying worries over the pressure on air traffic controllers, and their shortage has been a concern. 

According to CNBC, during the Federal Government shutdown, many federal employees, including air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers at airports, are working without pay.

“I would say that if this doesn’t get resolved, say beyond another 10 days or so, you probably will start to see some impacts,” Bastian told CNBC.

Retail sentiment on Delta improved to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ territory compared to a day ago, with message volumes at ‘extremely high’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits. Shares of Delta were up nearly 6% in premarket trading.

The company’s third-quarter total operating revenue of $16.67 billion beat Wall Street expectations of $15.84 billion, according to data from Fiscal AI. Delta’s adjusted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $1.71 adjusted compared to estimates of $1.52.

Delta said it expects fourth-quarter EPS to be between $1.60 and $1.90 and total revenue in the quarter to rise 2% to 4%.

“Over the last six weeks, sales trends have accelerated across all geographies and in every advance purchase window, positioning Delta to finish the year with momentum,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta's president.

Shares of Delta have declined nearly 6% this year but have gained over 12% in the last 12 months. 

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

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