Virgin Atlantic partner Delta Air Lines saw its quarterly income leap by 31% to $1.37 billion due to a rise in both passenger numbers and air fares and a fall in fuel costs.
Earnings for the three months to September topped Wall Street expectations, said USA Today.
Traffic during the quarter was up 2% and the average fare paid rose by 5%.
Delta said it "significantly" improved its operational performance during the last quarter, resulting in an on-time arrival rate of 83%.
The airline also claimed to have flown 99.8% of its flights this year without cancellation.
During the last quarter Delta received anti-trust immunity from regulators for its joint venture with Virgin, which has increased its presence on transatlantic routes.
