Key Takeaways
- Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue lowered their projections for various first-quarter metrics.
- The airlines cited an uncertain macroeconomic environment, along with extreme weather, as reasons for the lowered outlooks.
- Southwest on Tuesday also announced new revenue-generating policies like baggage fees.
Three of the largest U.S. airlines—Delta Air Lines (DAL), Southwest Airlines (LUV), and American Airlines (AAL)—have 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:lowered their projections for the first quarter of the year, citing weakening travel demand amid an uncertain economy.
Delta said it expects first-quarter revenue to 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:rise 3% to 4% rather than the 7% to 9% growth it projected🍌 previously, citing a "recent reduction in consumer and corporate confidence caused by increased macro uncertainty, driving💮 softness in Domestic demand."
Southwest and American Airlines have also cut their revenue outlooks. American projected a larger loss than previously expected and Southwest announced a slate of new revenue-generating measures like charging for checked luggage.
American cited "softness in the domestic leisure segment" along with a negative impact on bookings after the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:January Washington, D.C., crash involving one of its planes. Southwest cited the impact of the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:January wildfires in Los Angeles—but al🅰so "softness in bookings and demand trends as the macro environment has weܫakened."
The trend is also hitting smaller airlines. JetBlue (JBLU) lowered its first-quarter projection for 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:available seat miles because of more weather disruptions and "demand choppiness due to mixed macroeconomic indicators."
"We believe airline industry demand will likely bounce along the trough until macro stability is reached," Bank of America analysts wrote Monday.
The news was moving airline stocks in different directions Tuesday. Delta shares were recently 7%, while American shares were 5% lower. Southwest and JetBlue shares were ⛎up 9% and 5%, respectively, in recent trading.