09:11 AM EST, 01/10/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results on Friday amid robust travel demand while the carrier said it expects full-year earnings growth of over 10%.

Adjusted earnings came in at $1.85 per share for the December quarter, up from $1.28 the year before, surpassing the FactSet-polled consensus of $1.76. Operating revenue advanced 9% year over year to $15.56 billion. Total passenger revenue improved by 5% while cargo jumped 32%.

On an adjusted basis, operating revenue inclined 5.7% to $14.44 billion, topping the Street's view for $14.2 billion. Adjusted total revenue per available seat mile edged 0.4% higher year over year. Unit revenue logged declines in the domestic, Latin America and Pacific geographies, while the Atlantic gained 6%, the airline reported.

"Delta built momentum as we closed out 2024, with December quarter total revenue growth of 5.7% coming in ahead of guidance as our team delivered industry-leading operational performance and demand trends accelerated through the quarter," President Glen Hauenstein said in a statement. Shares of the company jumped 9.1% in premarket activity.

Operating expenses amounted to $13.84 billion, up from $12.9 billion in the prior-year quarter. Non-fuel cost per available seat mile increased by 3.3% on a yearly basis.

Delta anticipates adjusted EPS of more than $7.35 for 2025, representing growth of over 10% from the previous year's figure of $6.16. The guidance excludes the $0.45 per-share impact related to the CrowdStrike (CRWD)-related global tech outage in July, the airline said. The Street is looking for non-GAAP EPS of $7.44 for the current year.

"As we move into 2025, we expect strong demand for travel to continue, with consumers increasingly seeking the premium products and experiences that Delta provides," Chief Executive Ed Bastian said. "Our differentiated strategy and best-in-class operations, combined with demand strength and an increasingly constructive industry backdrop, position us to deliver the best financial year in Delta's 100-year history."

The company expects non-fuel unit cost growth to continue in the low-single-digit range for 2025, "as efficiencies offset the impact of slower capacity growth," according to Chief Financial Officer Dan Janki.

For the ongoing three-month period, Delta projects adjusted EPS to come in between $0.70 and $1 on revenue growth of 7% to 9%. Analysts currently estimate non-GAAP EPS of $0.77 and sales of $13.24 billion.