Delta Air Lines beats on earnings and guidance

Flickr/Tomás Del Coro

Delta Air Lines on Wednesday reported first-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street estimates, sending shares up 1.67% ahead of the opening bell.

The airline earned an adjusted $0.96 a share, comfortably beating the $0.90 that analysts surveyed by Bloomberg were expecting. Total adjusted revenue jumped 7.5% versus a year ago to $10.4 billion, a quarterly record and in line with expectations.

"Delta is off to a solid start in 2019," said CEO Ed Bastian in the earnings release. "Our March quarter performance demonstrates the power of our growing brand preference, our unmatched competitive advantages, and most importantly the Delta people who are committed to providing the best travel experiences for our customers every day."

Looking ahead, Delta sees Q2 earnings of $2.05 to $2.35 a share, topping the $2.14 consensus.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.