Delta posts $1.2 billion Q3 profit, touts holiday bookings

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

Delta Air Lines is reporting a $1.2 billion profit for the third quarter, thanks in large part to federal aid to help the industry get through the pandemic. Delta said Wednesday that travel demand is improving after flattening out in late summer, when coronavirus cases spiked in the U.S. But lucrative corporate and international travel continue to lag. Meanwhile, Delta is trying to set its own course on vaccine policy. Unlike other airlines, Delta is letting employees pick regular testing as an alternative to getting the shots. That could run afoul of President Joe Biden’s order that federal contractors require their employees to be vaccinated — not tested in place of getting vaccinated.