Delta Makes Huge Announcements

For Delta, historic announcements are typically far and few between; however, across the last week, the airline has made multiple.

From historical results in financial reporting to a landmark new purchase that’ll change how the airline operates on long-haul flights moving forward.

A Record-Breaking Year For Delta

For Delta, one of the first announcements came in the form of record revenue enjoyed across the December quarter and a full-year double-digit return on invested capital, setting the business up for a strong 2026 and beyond.

As the airline closes its centennial year, the business said it was able to demonstrate not just the durability it’s built, but also how developing the company from different angles can be so beneficial when weathering potential operational difficulties.

Operating revenue for the December quarter was USD 16 billion GAAP, operating income was USD 11.5 billion, and the overall operating margin of 9.2%.

This is further highlighted by the Full Year 2025 GAAP financial results, with operating revenue of USD 53.4 billion, topped off by payments on debt related to finance and lease obligations of USD 4.8 billion.

Delta says that, with record revenue, the unit revenue premium relative to the industry has remained almost 115%, with high-margin and, more importantly, diversified revenue streams helping drive the airline’s solid performance.

Other noteworthy moments for the airline included being named, for the fifth year in a row, by Cirium as the leading on-time arrival performance carrier in the U.S. and also operating the best and most reliable network.

Fleet highlights across the December quarter included taking delivery of 38 new planes, which included the A321neo and A350-900, with the latter crucial to the development of the long-haul network and part of efforts to enhance long-haul connectivity with service commencement, as well as new route launches such as Atlanta to Riyadh coming in October 2026.

Delta Orders The Boeing 787

One of Delta’s more exciting announcements of the last handful of years involves the commitment to the Boeing 787, the first direct order placed by the airline itself after a cancellation following an order inherited from Northwest Airlines during a merger.

The landmark contract placed last week by Delta commits up to 60 787s, with the high-capacity 787-10 selected to elevate the airline’s operations, with growth at the forefront and renewal efforts as an essential requirement.

As part of the contract, Delta has firm orders for 30 787-10s, with the possibility to exercise options for a further 30 units should the U.S. carrier wish to do so at any point down the line.

Delta is building a fleet for the future, and under the latest deal for this aircraft, which it calls logical, the fleet will be elevated, with the 787 Dreamliner complementing other next-generation widebodies, the A330neo and A350 family, which already feature in the fleet composition.

For the airline, a commitment to the 787 comes after a lengthy history with the aircraft, dating back to the 2000s, when Northwest Airlines placed an order for the Dreamliner, which, at the time of the commitment, felt the 787 would be perfect for growing the fleet.

However, months after that commitment, Northwest Airliens collapsed, with Delta stepping in and merging the business into its own. It not only saw assets transferred over, but this ultimately included the 787 order.

After many delays and internal studies at the airline, a commitment to the aircraft was cancelled, with Delta at the time choosing the A350 for its future widebody needs. Additionally, this was not a deal placed directly by the airline.

With a decade or so having passed since that order cancellation, Delta has been able to assess all available options for its future fleet, and with the latest 787-10 deal, commit to a high-capacity model that is known for its flexibility and efficiency, all the while placing an agreement that best suits itself rather than inheriting it.