8 Best Airline Stocks to Buy Heading into 2026

5. Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL)

Analysts’ Upside Potential as of November 20: 30.2%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 69

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) is among the Best Airline Stocks.

On 17th November, MarketBeat reported that Sanders Capital LLC lowered its interest in Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) by 1.1% in the second quarter, as reported in the company’s most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm held 30,368,851 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 323,088 during the quarter. The stock is Sanders Capital LLC’s fifteenth-largest holding, accounting for 2.0% of the company’s investment portfolio. In its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, Sanders Capital LLC held 4.65% of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), valued at $1,493,540,000.

On November 13, Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), told Yahoo Finance that the U.S. government shutdown significantly disrupted the airline business due to abrupt flight reductions and staffing shortages in air traffic control. He highlighted that controllers and security workers had been working unpaid, pointing out delays and operational strain. According to Bastian, Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) anticipates resuming full operations in the coming days. He cited a $12 billion federal investment targeted at modernizing, while spotlighting outdated U.S. air traffic control technology. He also stated that system recovery will take time, as crews and timetables must be adjusted after an extended period of reduced flying.

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL)’s stock has fallen by 4.74% in the last five days, as of 17 November 2025.

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) is a major airline in the United States, and it’s among the world’s largest by passengers and revenue.