Delta cuts 2026 profit forecast as fuel costs climb

Delta Air Lines cut its profit forecast for 2026, citing sharply higher fuel costs. It now expects adjusted earnings per share of $5.10 to $5.60, down from an earlier range of $6.50 to $7.50.

Fuel is expected to add about $6 billion in extra costs for the full year, or roughly €5.2 billion. Delta projects a pre-tax profit of around $4.5 billion, about €3.9 billion.

Adjusted revenue in the third quarter rose 16 percent to $17.59 billion, roughly €15.2 billion, with capacity unchanged. Adjusted pre-tax profit reached $1.5 billion, while fuel spending climbed 62 percent to $4.14 billion.

For the fourth quarter, Delta expects revenue growth of around 20 percent. The airline also plans to repay more than $2 billion in debt this year.