The company's third-quarter outlook raised concerns about the strength of the recovery for airlines, which are widely expected to post better results as travel demand improves from recession weakness. Other carriers' shares were also off.
Delta said the overall revenue environment was good, but it cited room for improvement.
"The revenue environment is improving; I would characterise it as good, not yet great," Delta chief executive Richard Anderson said.
Net income at Delta was USD$467 million for the second quarter, compared with a net loss of USD$257 million a year earlier.
Passenger revenue per available seat mile rose 19 percent as Delta made more money per seat mile flown and operated fuller planes.
Delta, which has cited improving corporate and international traffic, said it expected double-digit gains in unit revenue for the current quarter.
"I would have liked to have seen more volume growth," said Morningstar analyst Basili Alukos. He said traffic in terms of revenue passenger miles flown was up 1.7 percent in the quarter, suggesting there was still room for improvement in terms of traffic.
"It just shows you kind of a tepid recovery from the volume side," Alukos said.
Still, rising fuel costs pose a threat. Expenses tied to aircraft fuel rose 8 percent in the quarter. Delta said operating expenses, which rose 5 percent, were partly offset by savings from its 2008 acquisition of Northwest Airlines.
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