Holiday payoff: Atlanta-based Delta posts $828M fourth quarter profit

A Delta Airlines aircraft taxis on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Delta Air Lines said Friday that it earned $828 million in the fourth quarter and that consumers are still snapping up flights and making other purchases with their airline-branded credit cards.

The Atlanta-based airline said momentum has carried over into the new year, as the travel industry continues to recover from the worst of the pandemic.

Delta’s report came a day after American Airlines delivered a rosy update on its fourth quarter, saying that rising revenue would push earnings per share to nearly double the amount that Wall Street expected.