Delta Air Lines DAL announced its intention to resume flights to Israel from Jun 7. DAL did not operate flights to Israel since Oct 7, 2023, due to Hamas terror attack and war in Gaza. Its flights on the New York-JFK – Tel Aviv route will be operated by an Airbus A330-900neo that offers customers with nearly 2,000 seats on a weekly-basis.
The decision to resume nonstop flights to Israel comes afteran extensive security risk assessment by Delta Air. The airline continues to closely monitor the situation in Israel in conjunction with the government and private-sector partners. The flights will operate on a daily basis.
We remind investors that in December 2023, DAL, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), strengthened its presence in Israel by launching a long-term codeshare agreement with EL AL Israel Airlines. The agreement involves reciprocal codeshare and frequent flyer benefits, allowing passengers to earn and redeem miles on both carriers. With the resumption of services from New York-JFK to Tel Aviv, customers have more travel choices as far as travel between North America and Israel is concerned.
Owing to upbeat air-travel demand, shares of DAL have gained 26.3% year to date compared with its industry’s 14% growth.
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The resumption of flights to Israel are likely to attract significant traffic, in turn boosting its top line further in the summer season.
Airline Stocks to Consider
Investors interested in the airline industry may consider SkyWest SKYW and Copa Holdings CPA. SkyWest presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while Copa Holdings carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
SkyWest’s fleet modernization efforts are commendable. Upbeat air-travel demand also supports the company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SKYW’s 2024 earnings has improved 6.6% over the past 60 days. The stock has risen 55% year to date.
SKYW has an expected earnings growth rate of more than 100% for 2024. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 128.09%, on average.
Latin American carrier Copa Holdings is being aided by upbeat air-travel demand. We are also encouraged by Copa Holdings’ initiatives to modernize its fleet.
Over the past 60 days, the stock has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 earnings being revised 3.7% upward. CPA surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters by an average of 20.2%.
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Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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