Key Highlights

  • Delta's $0.2150 quarterly dividend has an October 15, 2026 ex-dividend date and is payable November 5 to shareholders of record.
  • September-quarter GAAP operating revenue was $20.2 billion, with GAAP operating income of $1.5 billion and a 7.2% margin.
  • GAAP EPS was $1.15, and adjusted EPS, a non-GAAP measure, was $1.72 versus $1.70 a year earlier.
  • Full-year adjusted EPS guidance is $5.10 to $5.60, and free cash flow guidance is approximately $2.5 billion.

Delta Air Lines' (NYSE:DAL) $0.2150 quarterly dividend yields 1.08% and sits beside September-quarter GAAP EPS of $1.15 and adjusted EPS of $1.72. The board declared it on September 24, 2026. On June 18, 2026 the board declared the same $0.2150, which the company described as an increase of approximately 15%.

Dividend Program and Shareholder Returns

Delta's board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2150 per share on September 24, 2026. It is payable November 5 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 15.

On June 18, 2026 the board declared $0.2150, an increase of approximately 15% over previous levels, payable July 30 to holders of record July 9. The company paid $141 million in cash dividends in the September quarter versus $122 million a year earlier. It also stated a plan to pay down more than $2 billion of debt in 2026.

About the Company

Delta is a passenger airline headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company states that its approximately 100,000 people operate up to 5,500 daily Delta and Delta Connection flights to more than 300 destinations on six continents. It served more than 200 million customers in 2025.

Financial Performance Behind the Payout

On a GAAP basis, Delta reported September-quarter operating revenue of $20.2 billion, up 21%. Operating income was $1.5 billion with a 7.2% margin, pre-tax income was $1.1 billion with a 5.3% margin, net income was $756 million and EPS was $1.15 versus $2.17.

On a non-GAAP basis, operating revenue was $17.6 billion, up 16%, operating income was $1.7 billion with a 9.4% margin, pre-tax income was $1.5 billion with an 8.5% margin and EPS was $1.72. Operating cash flow was $1.7 billion, and free cash flow was $463 million.

Premium revenue grew 18%, cargo revenue 29%, MRO revenue 28% and total loyalty revenue 18%, with American Express remuneration up 15%. Adjusted net debt was $13.4 billion, and liquidity was $6.9 billion.

Fuel Costs and the Revised Guidance

Adjusted fuel expense was $4.1 billion, up 62%, and the adjusted fuel price was $3.61 per gallon, up 60%, including a refinery benefit of 13 cents per gallon. The company stated that it absorbed more than $500 million of higher fuel costs than in its early July guidance.

Delta's October 9 release set full-year adjusted EPS guidance at $5.10 to $5.60, down from the $6.50 to $7.50 range in its July 10 release. The company stated full-year pre-tax profit of roughly $4.5 billion, absorbing a $6 billion increase in fuel costs.

Outlook

Delta's December-quarter guidance is total revenue growth of approximately 20%, an operating margin of 7% to 9% and EPS of $1.15 to $1.65, assuming fuel at the October 2 forward curve for an all-in price of approximately $4.25 per gallon. Full-year guidance is adjusted EPS of $5.10 to $5.60, free cash flow of approximately $2.5 billion and gross leverage of approximately 2.2x.