Delta says higher airfares will persist, 2026 profit target within reach

Bullish Gator

CEO Ed Bastian says Delta can sustain higher fares while passing on fuel costs, bringing its 2026 profit goal closer despite easing oil prices.

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Ed Bastian told CNBC that Delta expects higher airfares to persist, saying the carrier has been able to pass higher fuel costs to customers and that doing so puts its 2026 profit goal within reach, even as oil retreats from multiyear highs. That is a concrete claim about pricing power, which is the fastest route for airlines to turn modest revenue growth into big profit gains. For investors, the question is whether elevated fares are structural or a temporary repricing trick.