Delta Shares Edge Higher Premarket as CEO Revisits Earlier Starlink Talks

what happened

Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) shares moved slightly higher in Monday’s premarket after CEO Ed Bastian discussed the carrier’s earlier contacts with Elon Musk’s Starlink service. Stocktwits reported a 0.04% gain before the open, while the stock fell 2.2% last week.

In a Friday CNBC interview, Bastian said Delta had supplied Starlink with several aircraft for testing roughly six years ago. He described the technology’s performance as excellent, but said the two companies could not align on the timetable for expansion or on terms governing customer access. Bastian said he still views Starlink favorably. He also said Delta was an early adopter of free, high-speed onboard Wi-Fi and is working with Viasat and Hughes on further upgrades. According to Bastian, Viasat received FCC approval the previous day to launch service for U.S. carriers, with material improvements expected for Delta passengers by year-end; he also expressed enthusiasm about Amazon Leo.

The disagreement between Musk and Delta intensified after the airline declined to adopt SpaceX’s Starlink Wi-Fi. Musk attacked Delta’s internet service and cautioned that the carrier might lose customers. At a company event, Bastian responded that Delta did not want to work with Musk. The airline selected Amazon Leo for its inflight connectivity.

Delta shares declined 1% on Friday after its quarterly results came in below analyst forecasts. Adjusted earnings were $1.72 per share and revenue reached $17.59 billion, versus estimates of $1.76 and $18.92 billion, respectively, according to Fiscal.ai data. Higher fuel costs prompted Delta to reduce its 2026 adjusted earnings outlook to $5.10–$5.60 per share from $6.50–$7.50. Quarterly fuel expense climbed 62% from a year earlier to $4.14 billion. Delta continues to project approximately $2.5 billion in full-year free cash flow and debt repayment exceeding $2 billion. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits remained “extremely bullish.” DAL is up 18% year to date.

why it matters

Fuel expenses remain a major variable for Delta’s earnings, while the connectivity decision adds a technology and corporate-relations dimension to the airline’s outlook.

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