Delta has posted a pre-tax income of $1.4 billion for the June 2014 quarter.
The result is an increase of $593 million compared to the same period last year.
Delta said the jump in income was driven by higher passenger volumes and increased operating revenue, which jumped 9 per cent ($772m) compared to last year.
Delta’s net income for the three months to June was $889 million and its operating margin was 15.1 per cent.
The airline said it will re-invest half of its operating cash flow back into the business to reduce net debt below $8 billion, contribute more than $900 million of funding to company pension plans and return $550 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.
Delta CEO Richard Anderson said despite the positive results, he expects a further increase in profits for the next quarter.
“We expect our September quarter performance will be even stronger, as we expand our operating margins to 15-17% and further improve our profitability, said Anderson.
“All credit goes to Delta people worldwide who not only produced this record financial performance, but also continue to lead the industry in operational reliability and customer satisfaction.”