Excluding special items, the company's quarterly result was $281 million, representing a $196 million year-over-year improvement. Total passenger revenue increased 5 percent to $7.7 billion, which "shows the strength of Delta's revenue momentum even through the revenue loss from weather and a shift of the Easter holiday traffic into April," according to a statement from president Ed Bastian. "We see continued revenue strength as we move through the year from corporate revenue gains, the benefits of the
Virgin Atlantic joint venture and improved ancillary revenues." Severe weather in January and February forced Delta to cancel more than 17,000 flights, "double the number of flights cancelled for weather in 2013," according to the company, which calculated associated losses at $90 million in revenue in $55 million in pre-tax income.