Delta caps smooth holiday week with record-setting Sunday

• From Nov. 21-28, 3.6 million Delta customers traveled on 32,000 flights.
• Sunday, Nov. 28, set a new post-downturn record, with 534,000 Delta customers traveling on more than 2,700 flights.

Delta executed a smooth holiday travel week for more than 3.6 million customers, with the airline setting a post-downturn record for a single day on Sunday.

Those 3.6 million customers traveled on more than 32,000 flights from Nov. 21-28. Sunday, Nov. 28, saw the highest volume with 534,000 passengers traveling on more than 2,700 flights.

Only 16 flights (out of more than 27,000 scheduled Delta flights systemwide) were canceled from Nov. 22-28, while Delta Connection boasted an 11-day streak of no cancellations in November.

Figures for the full holiday travel period of Nov. 19-30 are still pending and will be released as they become available.

“As many customers return to travel for the first time, they are experiencing our superior performance and service that Delta people are known for, to kick off what is another busy travel season,” said John Laughter, E.V.P. and Chief of Operations.

The Transportation Security Administration said overall volume from Nov. 19-28 reached 89% of pre-pandemic levels, with 20.9 million passengers screened. That number reached more than 2.4 million on Sunday, Nov. 28, which TSA called a new high since the pandemic began.

DECEMBER HOLIDAY OUTLOOK

For the period running Dec. 17-Jan. 3, Delta expects to fly 8.7 million to 9 million passengers — an average of 490,000 per day. Six to eight of those days could come near the single-day post-downturn travel record set on Nov. 28, with peak averages of about 530,000 per day. 

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to show that 16 flights were canceled, not 17. Additionally, Delta Connection boasted an 11-day streak of no cancellations in November, not 12 days.

These early projections are subject to change. This story may be updated as new data becomes available.