Carrier Delta reports higher profit

Delta Air Lines today reported today a wider profit in the third quarter on the back of higher sales.

The Atlanta-based company said it earned $220 million, or 56 cents a share, compared to a profit of $52 million, or 22 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier.

Analysts surveyed were expecting earnings of 42 cents a share in the most recent quarter.

Revenue in the third quarter rose 10 per cent to $5.23 billion, compared with $4.75 billion in the same period a year earlier.

For the first nine months of the year, Delta reported a profit attributable to common shareholders of $1.68 billion, compared with a loss of $4.22 billion a year earlier.