Delta Air Lines Reports Highest Single Month Load Factor on Record

Airline's international expansion results in record international boardings


ATLANTA, Aug. 3, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) today reported all-time record load factors in July 2007, including consolidated system load factor of 86.8 percent, mainline system load factor of 87.6 percent, mainline domestic load factor of 89.4 percent, and total Latin system load factor of 84.5 percent.

In addition, a record number of passengers flew internationally on Delta during the month of July 2007. The number of international, Latin and regional passengers increased 15 percent, 24 percent, and 9 percent, respectively, versus the same period last year. Delta boarded 10.4 million passengers during July 2007, an increase of 3.5 percent from July 2006.

System traffic increased 4.9 percent from July 2006 with a capacity increase of 3.2 percent. Domestic traffic in July 2007 increased 0.5 percent year over year on a 2.1 percent decrease in capacity. International traffic in July 2007 increased 14.6 percent year over year on a 14.5 percent increase in capacity.

"Strong customer demand resulted in the highest monthly load factor we've ever recorded and we continue to see solid demand moving forward," said Jim Whitehurst, Delta's chief operating officer. "Our employees are to be commended for the excellent job they have done in taking care of our customers in the face of very challenging weather and record load factors during this peak travel month."

Delta completed 98.6 percent of scheduled flights during the month relative to 98.4 percent in July 2006. Detailed traffic and capacity are attached.

Delta Air Lines offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 333 destinations in 56 countries. With more than 60 new international routes introduced in the last year, Delta has added more international capacity than all other U.S. airlines combined and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 36 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers nearly 700 weekly flights to more than 60 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on nearly 15,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 479 worldwide destinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.


                             Delta Air Lines
                      Monthly Traffic Results(a)

                         July 2007       July 2006       Change
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 RPMs (000):
 Domestic                 8,067,086       8,030,612        0.5%
  Delta Mainline          6,361,599       6,409,316       (0.7%)
  Comair                    421,550         531,688      (20.7%)
  Contract Carriers       1,283,937       1,089,608       17.8%
 International            4,277,230       3,731,959       14.6%
  Latin America           1,105,966         886,076       24.8%
   Delta Mainline         1,044,597         860,637       21.4%
   Comair                       708           1,624      (56.4%)
   Contract Carriers         60,661          23,815      154.7%
  Atlantic                3,022,884       2,747,724       10.0%
  Pacific                   148,380          98,159       51.2%
 Total System            12,344,316      11,762,571        4.9%

 ASMs (000):
 Domestic                 9,181,827       9,375,407       (2.1%)
  Delta Mainline          7,115,924       7,376,339       (3.5%)
  Comair                    520,053         667,792      (22.1%)
  Contract Carriers       1,545,850       1,331,276       16.1%
 International            5,034,342       4,396,506       14.5%
  Latin America           1,308,959       1,087,946       20.3%
   Delta Mainline         1,231,029       1,056,835       16.5%
   Comair                       869           1,994      (56.4%)
   Contract Carriers         77,061          29,117      164.7%
  Atlantic                3,546,341       3,195,947       11.0%
  Pacific                   179,042         112,613       59.0%
 Total System            14,216,169      13,771,913        3.2%

 Load Factor
 Domestic                      87.9%           85.7%       2.2 pts
  Delta Mainline               89.4%           86.9%       2.5 pts
  Comair                       81.1%           79.6%       1.5 pts
  Contract Carriers            83.1%           81.8%       1.3 pts
 International                 85.0%           84.9%       0.1 pts
  Latin America                84.5%           81.4%       3.1 pts
   Delta Mainline              84.9%           81.4%       3.5 pts
   Comair                      81.5%           81.4%       0.1 pts
   Contract Carriers           78.7%           81.8%      (3.1) pts
  Atlantic                     85.2%           86.0%      (0.8) pts
  Pacific                      82.9%           87.2%      (4.3) pts
 Total System                  86.8%           85.4%       1.4 pts

 Passengers Boarded      10,399,143      10,042,771        3.5%

 Endnote:

 (a) Results reflect operations under our contract carrier
     arrangements with the following airlines for all periods
     presented: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., Chautauqua
     Airlines, Inc., Freedom Airlines, Inc., Shuttle America Corp.,
     and SkyWest Airlines Inc.


                            Delta Air Lines
                    Year to Date Traffic Results(a)

                         July 2007       July 2006      Change
 -------------------------------------------------------------
 RPMs (000):
 Domestic                48,387,339      48,961,487       (1.2%)
  Delta Mainline         37,892,761      39,161,343       (3.2%)
  Comair                  2,657,404       3,086,474      (13.9%)
  Contract Carriers       7,837,174       6,713,670       16.7%
 International           22,747,180      19,237,812       18.2%
  Latin America           6,342,098       4,975,911       27.5%
   Delta Mainline         6,049,033       4,831,837       25.2%
   Comair                     6,252          30,796      (79.7%)
   Contract Carriers        286,813         113,278      153.2%
  Atlantic               15,643,683      13,584,408       15.2%
  Pacific                   761,399         677,493       12.4%
 Total System            71,134,519      68,199,299        4.3%

 ASMs (000):
 Domestic                58,998,485      61,851,323       (4.6%)
  Delta Mainline         45,543,293      49,218,707       (7.5%)
  Comair                  3,553,666       4,141,817      (14.2%)
  Contract Carriers       9,901,526       8,490,799       16.6%
 International           28,624,216      24,241,155       18.1%
  Latin America           8,409,503       6,659,366       26.3%
   Delta Mainline         7,998,419       6,470,618       23.6%
   Comair                     7,841          41,692      (81.2%)
   Contract Carriers        403,243         147,056      174.2%
  Atlantic               19,317,766      16,805,242       15.0%
  Pacific                   896,947         776,547       15.5%
 Total System            87,622,701      86,092,478        1.8%

 Load Factor
 Domestic                      82.0%           79.2%       2.8 pts
  Delta Mainline               83.2%           79.6%       3.6 pts
  Comair                       74.8%           74.5%       0.3 pts
  Contract Carriers            79.2%           79.1%       0.1 pts
 International                 79.5%           79.4%       0.1 pts
  Latin America                75.4%           74.7%       0.7 pts
   Delta Mainline              75.6%           74.7%       0.9 pts
   Comair                      79.7%           73.9%       5.8 pts
   Contract Carriers           71.1%           77.0%      (5.9) pts
  Atlantic                     81.0%           80.8%       0.2 pts
  Pacific                      84.9%           87.2%      (2.3) pts
 Total System                  81.2%           79.2%       2.0 pts

 Passengers Boarded      64,031,430      62,794,884        2.0%

 Endnote:

 (a) Results reflect operations under our contract carrier
     arrangements with the following airlines for all periods
     presented: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc., Chautauqua
     Airlines, Inc., Freedom Airlines, Inc., Shuttle America Corp.,
     and SkyWest Airlines Inc.


            

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