Airline Demand falls after slowdown

DELTA AIRLINE

Air freight at west coast ports suffered from a slowdown and unfortunately it has still not fully recovered. According to Delta air lines Inc. there was a 20% decrease in revenue which indicates that U.S handlers are finding the prices harsh and in turn this seems to be causing the decrease. The strike of the west coast port has ended yet the effects remain on the cargo airlines. 

Statistics have been provided to further emphasize the decrease and tough effect of the slowdown on the air line. Last year Delta’s cargo revenue was $244 million yet from the quarter to September it had dropped to $196 million, decreasing by a 10% fall in three months.

Ed Bastian, the president of Delta stated that the cargo business and passenger business are going through the same issue. Domestic and local seems safe and steady while internationally, it’s decreasing.

PASSENGERS

Although the airlines went through a high in business early in the year while all the port disruptions went on, it seems that the boost only lasted up till summer. Trade groups report the increase slowly trailed off leaving a lower revenue then before the west coast port disruptions.

When it comes to domestic Cargo then the airline does succeed others yet in regards to freight volume it falls behind. Freight volume leaders are United Continental Holdings Inc. as well as American Airlines Group Inc. after these two comes this airline which is based in Atlanta. 

Although more of Deltas running system is based on Trans – Atlantic routes rather than pacific trade lanes statistics show that united and American faced less declines then Delta. 

US AIRLINES

Out of all the U.S airlines the first to have third quarter income has been Delta. With cargo becoming less essential handlers are looking for other opportunities and investments to make up for the loss they seem to be suffering and the decrease in what is the core of the cargo industry, the passenger business.

Looking at the statistics it’s important that Delta take progressive steps to avoid a further fall in revenues. 2007 had reached a peak of $1.7 billion yet last year’s cargo revenues totaled a mere $934 million. This has been a significant blow to Delta and the financial crisis and west coast port disruptions, strike and slowdown seems to have had its effect on the financial earnings and cargo revenues of this particular airline quite heavily.