“Business travel is showing signs of improvement as corporate confidence grows,” according to Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, speaking on a fourth quarter earnings call.

Corporate sales improved across all sectors during the fourth quarter — led by banking, consumer services and media — and were up 8% year over year, according to executives. Glen Hauenstein, president, said that revenue growth in 2025 was due mostly to higher fares.

A recent corporate survey by the carrier indicated that nearly 90% of companies expect their 2026 travel volume to increase or remain steady year over year, according to Delta.

Hauenstein said the airline’s 2025 premium revenue grew 7% year over year, and loyalty revenue increased 6% compared with 2024.

Delta reported fourth-quarter passenger revenue of $12.9 billion, up 1% year over year. Full-year 2025 passenger revenue was nearly $51.8 billion, up 2% from 2024. Full-year total revenue was nearly $63.4 billion, a 3% increase over the previous year. 

Fourth-quarter net income was more than $1.2 billion, up from the $843 million reported in the same period in 2024, while full-year net income reached $5 billion, up from the nearly $3.5 billion reported in 2024. Capacity for the fourth quarter increased 1.3% year over year and was up 3% for 2025 compared with 2024.