Delta Reports Irma Cost Airline $120M

Staff Report From Georgia CEO

Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

Delta today reported operating performance for September 2017. The company carried 14.7 million passengers across our broad global network in the month.

During the month, Hurricanes Irma and Maria affected operations across the Caribbean and southeastern United States. Hurricane Irma significantly affected operations with 2,200 flights cancelled from September 7-12 at airports in Florida, the Caribbean and Georgia, including the company's Atlanta hub.

Over the course of the month, Delta took the following actions to assist customers affected by the storms:

Added 12,000 additional seats departing Florida and Caribbean markets to assist evacuation efforts related to Hurricane Irma.

Capped fares for flights to and from hurricane-affected areas before, during and after the storm for itineraries throughout the continental United States.

Provided waivers for customers transiting more than 40 destinations where flights were affected by hurricanes and suspended baggage and pet-in-cabin fees for customers traveling to or from impacted cities.

Contributed an additional $1.75 million specific to hurricane relief to the American Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, and British, Dutch and French Red Cross organizations.

In an Investor Update, Delta announced that it expects its operating margin to be 15.5-16.5 percent.  Hurricane Irma negatively affected results by approximately $120 million, which translates to approximately 1 point of margin.