DELTA AIR LINES POSTS $1.11 BILLION PROFIT FOR THE THIRD QUARTER AND SEES STRONG HOLIDAY BOOKINGS

Planes packed with summer travelers boosted Delta Air Lines to a $1.11 billion profit in the third quarter, and the carrier said Thursday that it expects revenue to keep rising into the holiday season.

Profit was up 59% from a year earlier, as strong ticket sales - especially for premium seats and international flights - helped Delta shrug off higher labor costs.

The Atlanta-based airline predicted ranges for fourth-quarter and full-year profit that mostly exceed Wall Street expectations.

"I think we're closing the year strong, and the holiday bookings that we see right now are pretty good," CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview. "Domestic (travel) is solid, and international is really strong!"

U.S. airlines are flying high as the travel recovery that began last year shows few signs of slowing down.

Delta increased its passenger-carrying capacity an aggressive 16% and was able to fill all those extra seats. Travelers flew 64 billion miles on the airline in the quarter, a 17% increase, and they filled 88% of the seats on the average flight, a point higher than last summer.