Delta Air Lines CEO Expects Most US Carriers To Bleed In 2025: Report

Ed Bastian noted that the carrier and its rival, United Airlines Holdings, will generate the majority of the industry's profit.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) CEO Ed Bastian stated on Monday that most U.S. airlines are expected to incur losses this year, as spending patterns diverge across income groups.

According to a Bloomberg News report, Bastian said at an event, while the upper end of the economy is spending money on travel and other experiences, “you have the lower end of the consumer spectrum, it’s tough.”

During his chat with Raphael Bostic, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Bastian noted that Delta and rival United Airlines Holdings will make the majority of the profit in the industry, banking on expensive premium seats and a comeback in business travel.

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits about low-cost carrier Frontier Group (ULCC) was in the ‘neutral’ territory at the time of writing, while traders were ‘bullish’ about Allegiant Group (ALGT), as well as Delta and United Airlines stocks.

Delta had earlier earmarked “solid” corporate bookings and high-yield leisure travel as key earnings drivers during the fall season.

In April, Delta, along with many other U.S. airlines, including American Airlines (AAL) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU), withdrew its annual expectations for the year, as the tariff war had resulted in economic uncertainty and a decline in consumer confidence during the first half of the year.

The dip in demand toward the back half of the cabin, combined with rising costs, has severely eroded margins at low-cost carriers. Earlier this month, Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, revealed plans for further job cuts and a reduction in flight schedule in November to cut costs.

United's stock is up 1.4% this year, while Delta's is down 4.3%. In comparison, Frontier stock has fallen 32.8% and Allegiant stock is down nearly 34%.

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