Corporate sales at Delta Air Lines accelerated into year-end, including double-digit year-over-year growth in the month of December, according to Glenn Hauenstein, president, speaking on a fourth quarter earnings call.

Technology and financial services led the corporate momentum for the quarter, with media and auto sectors “seeing notable traction” following the resolution of each industry’s strikes.

Ed Bastian CEO, said “We had a number of [corporate] laggards, technology being by far the largest in terms of having not returned to travel, and we are finally starting to see tech companies traveling again,”

Overall, Delta’s corporate business is at “post-pandemic highs,” according to Hauenstein, and is somewhere around 90% restored to pre-pandemic levels as the company heads into 2924.

In addition, in Delta’s most recent corporate customer survey, nearly 95% of respondents expect to travel as much or more in the first quarter of 2024 as they did in the fourth quarter of 2023, Hauenstein said. “This is a double-digit improvement in travel intentions from our last survey.”

The airline also announced an order for 20 A350-1000 widebody aircraft with an option for 20 additional widebody planes. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026.

Bastian said the planes complement the carrier’s fleet strategy “and will offer a world-class customer experience for international travelers with more premium seats, higher gauge and great customer amenities,” He said the aircraft are over 20% more fuel efficient than the [Boeing] 767s they will be replacing.

Image: Delta Air Lines