Delta Air Lines' corporate sales revenue for the second quarter soared by double-digit percentage year-over-year growth, across all sectors, chief commercial officer Joe Esposito said on a Friday morning earnings call.
"Performance was strong across core and coastal hubs, where sales rose more than 20 percent versus [the] prior year," Esposito said
Most of the corporate sales growth was because of increased fares, Esposito noted, though added that Delta also has seen "some improvement in passengers."
"There is lots of upside for the future on additional volumes," he said. "It's been great to see the resiliency of the corporate demand."
Domestic demand led corporate growth, he said. "Domestic is on a really good trajectory, especially with corporate sales traveling in the U.S.," he said. Domestic Q2 corporate sales revenue increased 20 percent, and "big cities like Los Angeles and Boston were actually closer to 30 percent."
Delta cited particular strength in the aerospace and defense, banking and automative sectors. "Sustained strength" in premium demand was a tailwind for premium corporate sales, which increased more than 25 percent in the second quarter from a year prior.
Overall premium revenue for the period increased 17 percent year over year, while loyalty and related revenue grew 19 percent, according to Delta.
An analyst asked about Delta's expectations from the corporate market for its new Basic fares in premium cabins announced this week, noting that most managed corporate programs have walled off Basic Economy.
"I would expect this to be a positive for the top-end consumer of first class," chief operating officer Dan Janki replied. "The basics still, even in the premium cabins, are restrictive, and that doesn't really work with our corporate customers."
RELATED: Choice or Complexity? Delta's New Fares Could Offer Buyers Both
Delta Q2 Metrics
Delta reported second-quarter passenger revenue of $15.6 billion, a 13 percent increase year over year. Total quarterly revenue was nearly $19.8 billion, up 19 percent for the period. Capacity increased 1 percent compared with Q2 2025. The average fuel price was $3.66 per gallon, a 66 percent increase from a year prior.
Third-quarter guidance included an increase in total revenue by a mid-teen percentage year over year. Delta plans a capacity increase of 1 percent in the next quarter versus Q3 2025, while the fourth quarter is projected to increase 2 percent to 3 percent, according to Esposito.
RELATED: Delta Q1 performance