Delta CEO Bastian: “The Worst of Omicron is Behind Us”
Joe Cortez January 13, 2022
The head of the Atlanta-based airline made the comments during the announcement of the company’s 2021 fourth quarter and annual financial results on Thursday, January 13, 2022.
Delta Reports Fourth Quarter Earnings, but Major Year-Long Losses
Buoyed by a strong holiday travel season, Delta reported an adjusted earning of $170 million for the fourth quarter of 2021. However, the entire year was not as good for the company. Over the entirety of 2021, the airline posted an adjusted loss of $3.4 billion.
Despite that, Bastian said there are reasons to look forward to 2022. Speaking on the conference call, the chief executive told reporters that bookings looked “really robust,” and that “the worst of Omicron is behind us,” as quoted by Seeking Alpha.
Looking forward to the quarter ahead, the head of the airline is predicting losses in January and February, before turning a profit in March. With demand for air travel growing once more, Bastian said they are seeing strong sales for the President’s Day weekend.
“While the rapidly spreading omicron variant has significantly impacted staffing levels and disrupted travel across the industry, Delta’s operation has stabilized over the last week and returned to pre-holiday performance,” Bastian said in a press release. “Omicron is expected to temporarily delay the demand recovery 60 days, but as we look past the peak, we are confident in a strong spring and summer travel season with significant pent-up demand for consumer and business travel.”
While tailwinds could be ahead for the entire airline industry, there are several challenges which could ultimately affect the passenger experience. Bastian told reporters the airline has contingency plans if inflation drives the price of oil over $100 per barrel, while the airline said over 8,000 employees tested positive for COVID-19 during the holiday season. United Airlines made a similar declaration, speaking about their Newark hub alone. If those trends continue, it could result in higher prices and more cancellations for flyers.
Delta Announcement Kicks off Airline Earnings Season
With their announcement, Delta is the first of the major U.S. carriers to announce their results. Both American Airlines and United will announce their 2021 fourth quarter and yearlong results on January 20, 2022.
Masks are forever.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/01/31/masks-stay-force-planes-years-come-warns-ryanair/
They're just beginning to talk about it but it's coming. You will wear a mask on planes for the rest of your lives.
If I have two choices for getting from A to B, I will take the choice that doesn't rub my face in pandemic theater for the whole duration of the flight (minus the food and drink service, during which time the pathogen is perhaps ostensibly dormant?) I will pay double or triple to avoid being treated like a convict in some dystopian sci fi movie. I don't want FAs staring at me with rapt intensity, preparing to raise the alarm and summon the air marshal if I remain unmasked for a single millisecond too long after the cutlery or cup clears my lips.
If we have a choice, that's a win for everyone. The people who want to wear nose covers every moment of their lives, and travel only with people sharing that same dogmatic obsession, can fly the airlines that cater to their wants.
[I discovered another word that's forbidden by the obscenity filter, nine letters starting with the word "a", meaning "to keep company", or as a noun referring to an employee who provides a service such as sales. Hmm.]
The real question though is whether the worst of Delta is behind us?! 😂
You'll still wear masks forever on planes -- because the need to virtue-signal for some is just too strong.
No we won't
Got to love the comments from people that are afraid to walk outside.
I did not realize that Ed Bastian was a professional medical doctor also. Or did he just get a crystal ball from of some fake fortune teller.
No, but he does have a good brain unlike so many COVID commentators.