American Airlines Bullish On Holidays After Delta Variant Hit

The big US carrier enjoyed a profitable July before the spread of the Delta variant pushed the company into the red in both August and September.

American Airlines said Thursday that the latest surge in Covid-19 hit profitability in the latest quarter, but that it was bullish on the upcoming holiday season.

The big US carrier enjoyed a profitable July before the spread of the Delta variant pushed the company into the red in both August and September, American executives said in a letter to employees.

The company reported $169 million in profits in the third quarter, but the bottom line would have been a loss without an infusion of US funds authorized by Congress for carriers to preserve airline jobs.

Revenues were $9 billion, more than double the year ago-levels, but about 25 percent below those in the equivalent period of 2019.