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[+] outbound flight (Photo credit should read PAUL J.RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Delta Air Lines announced a 29% year-over-year profit decline in the second quarter. This trend is being felt throughout the airline industry as fares fall as the supply of passenger seats exceeds demand.

Concurrently, its Wheels Up private aircraft operation, purchased by Delta and a consortium of investors a year ago, had a $97 million loss in the first quarter, about on par with its loss during the same period in 2023. Wheels up never made money even before Delta’s rescue, and since its founding has racked up a $1.86 billion accumulated deficit.

Earlier this year Delta parachuted in its former chairman of operations and then sprinkled in an assortment of other v-p’s mostly with operations backgrounds. Earlier they made one of Delta’s Board of Directors members the CEO of Wheels Up. While operations are indeed part of the overall profitability equation and Delta does have some previous experience with private jets, the Wheels Up fleet is comprised mostly of the King Air aircraft made by Textron Aviation.

The idea for this propellered turboprop was first hatched back in the 1960’s and was not originally designed with high frequency airline-type operations in mind. As such, scheduled maintenance events are frequent an.