A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200 plane passes by the U.S. Capitol dome in Washington because it is available in for a landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Bill Clark | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
Delta Air Lines said the federal government shutdown that ended last month cost it roughly $200 million in pretax profit as bookings softened through the longest such impasse in U.S. history.
The airline said the earnings impact could be roughly 25 cents a share for the present quarter. In October, Delta forecast adjusted fourth-quarter earnings of $1.60 to $1.90 a share.
Travel demand, nonetheless, continues to be healthy, and bookings are strong going into 2026, Delta reiterated in a securities filing on Wednesday ahead of an industry conference.
Air traffic controller shortages worsened through the shutdown, and the Trump administration forced airlines to trim their schedules to alleviate pressure on controllers. But even with that move, delays and cancellations ended up being higher than expected in the times before the shutdown ended.
Air traffic controllers, already stretched thin before the shutdown, were required to work without their regular paychecks during that period.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian and other airline executives have repeatedly pressed lawmakers and officials in Washington to be certain that air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration officers and other staff tied to air travel are paid within the event of one other shutdown.
