Delta Air Lines' CEO, Ed Bastian, recently announced that the airline will be delaying the delivery of new Airbus aircraft this year in order to navigate the new tariffs imposed on imports entering the US market from Europe. The decision was made during a quarterly earnings call following Delta's latest financial results. Bastian emphasized, “We will not pay tariffs on any aircraft deliveries we take. We will defer any deliveries that have a tariff on it.”

The aviation industry has been riddled with uncertainty due to the recent tariff changes announced by President Donald Trump. Bastian noted, “These times are pretty uncertain, and if you start to put a 20% incremental cost on top of an aircraft, it gets very difficult to make that math work.” Delta reported that growth has come to a halt, citing global economic uncertainties around trade as a key factor.

President Trump's announcement of significant tariffs on imports from over 180 countries in early April left the global aviation industry in a precarious position. The EU, UK, India, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan were among the regions hit with various tariffs. However, in response to President Trump's U-turn, the EU announced a pause on retaliatory tariffs that were set to take effect soon.

With global uncertainty looming, Delta's operating revenue stood at $14 billion, and the airline refrained from providing an updated full-year outlook. As the situation continues to evolve, stakeholders in the aviation industry are closely monitoring developments to navigate these challenging times.