ATLANTA, April 3, 2008 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today reported record load factors for March. Load factors for system (83.6 percent), mainline system (84.2 percent), domestic (84.5 percent) and Latin (81.9 percent) were higher than any previous March on record for Delta.
System traffic in March 2008 increased 2.3 percent over March 2007 with a capacity increase of 1.5 percent. International traffic increased 12.5 percent year over year on a 12.2 percent increase in capacity. Domestic traffic in March 2008 decreased 2.1 percent year over year on a capacity decrease of 3.2 percent.
In addition, a record number of passengers flew internationally on Delta during the month of March. The number of international, Atlantic and Latin passengers increased 11.9 percent, 10.1 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively, versus the same period last year.
“Internationally, we saw strong demand and solid unit revenue gains, and our international network continues to grow with the recent launch of flights to Heathrow and Shanghai,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s executive vice president -- Network Planning and Revenue Management. “On the domestic side, we moved quickly and aggressively to rationalize capacity in light of fuel prices and economic conditions. The benefits of these actions and our yield management initiatives, combined with the earlier Easter holiday, resulted in stronger year-over-year domestic unit revenue gains than seen last month.”
Detailed traffic and capacity are attached.
Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 306 destinations in 58 countries. Delta has added more international capacity than any major U.S. airline during the last two years and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 37 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers more than 517 weekly flights to 57 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on nearly 16,409 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 841 worldwide destinations in 162 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
Delta Air Lines
Monthly Traffic Results(a,b)
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|
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March 2008
|
March 2007
|
Change
|
||
RPMs (000):
|
||||
Domestic
|
7,133,764
|
7,286,579
|
(2.1%)
|
|
Delta Mainline
|
5,548,054
|
5,712,265
|
(2.9%)
|
|
Comair
|
406,355
|
399,642
|
1.7%
|
|
Contract Carriers
|
1,179,355
|
1,174,672
|
0.4%
|
|
International
|
3,522,574
|
3,130,017
|
12.5%
|
|
Latin America
|
1,072,505
|
955,199
|
12.3%
|
|
Delta Mainline
|
1,008,456
|
913,662
|
10.4%
|
|
Comair
|
1,969
|
1,192
|
65.2%
|
|
Contract Carriers
|
62,080
|
40,345
|
53.9%
|
|
Atlantic
|
2,319,235
|
2,072,774
|
11.9%
|
|
Pacific
|
130,834
|
102,044
|
28.2%
|
|
System
|
10,656,338
|
10,416,596
|
2.3%
|
|
ASMs (000):
|
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Domestic
|
8,440,731
|
8,716,370
|
(3.2%)
|
|
Delta Mainline
|
6,472,083
|
6,733,340
|
(3.9%)
|
|
Comair
|
528,785
|
527,215
|
0.3%
|
|
Contract Carriers
|
1,439,863
|
1,455,815
|
(1.1%)
|
|
International
|
4,302,610
|
3,834,733
|
12.2%
|
|
|
1,309,080
|
1,224,497
|
6.9%
|
|
Delta Mainline
|
1,228,367
|
1,168,338
|
5.1%
|
|
Comair
|
2,305
|
1,326
|
73.8%
|
|
Contract Carriers
|
78,408
|
54,833
|
43.0%
|
|
Atlantic
|
2,826,972
|
2,496,437
|
13.2%
|
|
Pacific
|
166,558
|
113,799
|
46.4%
|
|
System
|
12,743,341
|
12,551,103
|
1.5%
|
|
Load Factor
|
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Domestic
|
84.5%
|
83.6%
|
0.9
|
pts
|
Delta Mainline
|
85.7%
|
84.8%
|
0.9
|
pts
|
Comair
|
76.8%
|
75.8%
|
1.0
|
pts
|
Contract Carriers
|
81.9%
|
80.7%
|
1.2
|
pts
|
International
|
81.9%
|
81.6%
|
0.3
|
pts
|
|
81.9%
|
78.0%
|
3.9
|
pts
|
Delta Mainline
|
82.1%
|
78.2%
|
3.9
|
pts
|
Comair
|
85.4%
|
89.9%
|
(4.5)
|
pts
|
Contract Carriers
|
79.2%
|
73.6%
|
5.6
|
pts
|
Atlantic
|
82.0%
|
83.0%
|
(1.0)
|
pts
|
Pacific
|
78.6%
|
89.7%
|
(11.1)
|
pts
|
System
|
83.6%
|
83.0%
|
0.6
|
pts
|
Passengers Boarded
|
9,619,091
|
9,696,321
|
(0.8%)
|
|
Completion Factor
|
98.1%
|
98.1%
|
0.0
|
pts
|
Endnote:
a Results reflect operations under our contract carrier arrangements with the following airlines: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., Chautauqua Airlines, Inc., Freedom Airlines, Inc., Shuttle America Corp. and SkyWest Airlines Inc. for all periods presented, and ExpressJet Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines, Inc beginning June 2007 and December 2007, respectively.
b Mainline system includes domestic Delta mainline, Latin Delta mainline, Atlantic and Pacific operations
Delta Air Lines
Year to Date Traffic Results (a,b)
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|
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March 2008
|
March 2007
|
Change
|
||
RPMs (000):
|
||||
Domestic
|
19,023,951
|
19,031,037
|
(0.0%)
|
|
Delta Mainline
|
14,776,588
|
14,922,871
|
(1.0%)
|
|
Comair
|
1,059,901
|
1,046,843
|
1.2%
|
|
Contract Carriers
|
3,187,462
|
3,061,323
|
4.1%
|
|
International
|
9,180,645
|
8,181,575
|
12.2%
|
|
|
2,964,599
|
2,756,487
|
7.5%
|
|
Delta Mainline
|
2,802,021
|
2,645,564
|
5.9%
|
|
Comair
|
4,107
|
2,549
|
61.1%
|
|
Contract Carriers
|
158,471
|
108,374
|
46.2%
|
|
Atlantic
|
5,851,189
|
5,142,314
|
13.8%
|
|
Pacific
|
364,857
|
282,774
|
29.0%
|
|
Total System
|
28,204,596
|
27,212,612
|
3.6%
|
|
ASMs (000):
|
||||
Domestic
|
24,093,963
|
24,490,305
|
(1.6%)
|
|
Delta Mainline
|
18,484,569
|
18,925,480
|
(2.3%)
|
|
Comair
|
1,500,871
|
1,527,840
|
(1.8%)
|
|
Contract Carriers
|
4,108,523
|
4,036,985
|
1.8%
|
|
International
|
11,997,888
|
10,789,094
|
11.2%
|
|
|
3,687,152
|
3,695,969
|
(0.2%)
|
|
Delta Mainline
|
3,475,148
|
3,535,090
|
(1.7%)
|
|
Comair
|
5,200
|
3,285
|
58.3%
|
|
Contract Carriers
|
206,804
|
157,594
|
31.2%
|
|
Atlantic
|
7,839,184
|
6,762,819
|
15.9%
|
|
Pacific
|
471,552
|
330,306
|
42.8%
|
|
Total System
|
36,091,851
|
35,279,399
|
2.3%
|
|
Load Factor
|
||||
Domestic
|
79.0%
|
77.7%
|
1.3
|
pts
|
Delta Mainline
|
79.9%
|
78.9%
|
1.0
|
pts
|
Comair
|
70.6%
|
68.5%
|
2.1
|
pts
|
Contract Carriers
|
77.6%
|
75.8%
|
1.8
|
pts
|
International
|
76.5%
|
75.8%
|
0.7
|
pts
|
|
80.4%
|
74.6%
|
5.8
|
pts
|
Delta Mainline
|
80.6%
|
74.8%
|
5.8
|
pts
|
Comair
|
79.0%
|
77.6%
|
1.4
|
pts
|
Contract Carriers
|
76.6%
|
68.8%
|
7.8
|
pts
|
Atlantic
|
74.6%
|
76.0%
|
(1.4)
|
pts
|
Pacific
|
77.4%
|
85.6%
|
(8.2)
|
pts
|
Total System
|
78.1%
|
77.1%
|
1.0
|
pts
|
Passengers Boarded
|
25,586,262
|
25,325,177
|
1.0%
|
Endnote:
a Results reflect operations under our contract carrier arrangements with the following airlines: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., Chautauqua Airlines, Inc., Freedom Airlines, Inc., Shuttle America Corp. and SkyWest Airlines Inc. for all periods presented, and ExpressJet Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines, Inc beginning June 2007 and December 2007, respectively.
b Mainline system includes domestic Delta mainline, Latin Delta mainline, Atlantic and Pacific operations