Key Takeaways Delta Air Lines bills itself as the "premium" U.S. airline. Passengers appear to be buying in.The carrier on Friday reported record fourth-quarter revenue and operating profit.Delta announced that on its "Profit Sharing Day"—Feb.

Delta Air Lines expects a strong appetite for high-end travel to fuel profit in 2025, said Chief Executive Ed Bastian. The forecast comes as the airline posted better-than-expected revenue growth in the latest quarter as demand picked up.

If investors were questioning whether airline stocks could keep rallying, Delta Air Lines has provided an emphatic answer. The carrier’s fourth-quarter earnings and positive outlook for 2025 gave the sector’s stocks permission to take off again early Friday.

Delta Air Lines topped profit and revenue expectations in the fourth quarter on strong demand during the crucial holiday period. Delta said Friday that travel demand picked up throughout the quarter.