Thursday, June 05, 2008

Delta Air Lines Achieves Record May Load Factors

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today reported record load factors for May 2008. Load factors for system (82.9 percent), domestic (84.2 percent), Latin (77.6 percent) and regional system (80.8 percent) were higher than any previous May on record for Delta.

System traffic in May 2008 increased 4.2 percent over May 2007 with a capacity increase of 1.5 percent. As a result of Delta’s combination of unique markets and improved product offerings international traffic remained strong in May, increasing 20.9 percent year over year on a 17.4 percent increase in capacity. Delta’s international load factor was 80.8 percent, an increase of 2.3 points compared to May 2007. Domestic traffic in May 2008 decreased 3.8 percent year over year on a capacity decrease of 6.5 percent.

In addition, a record number of passengers flew internationally on Delta during May. The number of international, Atlantic and Latin passengers increased 14.9 percent, 17.4 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively, versus the same period last year.

“May’s strong unit revenue performance was driven by Delta’s expanding international presence and the company’s commitment to domestic capacity rationalization,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s executive vice president -- Network Planning and Revenue Management. “With continued yield growth, summer demand strength and growth in our cargo and ancillary revenues, we expect a solid summer. Our pre-emptive move in March to cut capacity for this fall leaves us well positioned to continue to deliver on our revenue targets.”

Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 324 destinations in 62 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 43 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers 600 weekly flights to 62 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 16,000 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 474 worldwide destinations in 104 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections or strategies for the future, may be “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, projections and strategies reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the cost of aircraft fuel; the impact that our indebtedness will have on our financial and operating activities and our ability to incur additional debt; the restrictions that financial covenants in our financing agreements will have on our financial and business operations; labor issues; interruptions or disruptions in service at one of our hub airports; our increasing dependence on technology in our operations; our ability to retain management and key employees; the ability of our credit card processors to take significant holdbacks in certain circumstances; the effects of terrorist attacks; and competitive conditions in the airline industry. Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties that could cause differences between actual results and forward-looking statements is contained in Delta’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2008. Caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on Delta’s forward-looking statements, which represent Delta’s views only as of June 4, 2008, and which Delta has no current intention to update.

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