Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian aimed to reassure foreign visitors that the US is still a friendly place to visit. “Hopefully, the World Cup will bring a lot of Europeans, a lot of international visitors into the US market,” Bastian told AFP on Wednesday.
The biennial football competition will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 20.
However, there are concerns that some foreign visitors would steer clear of the US this year due to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.
“Yes, the US has a focus on immigration. This is not immigration. This is tourism,” Bastian said in an interview in parallel with the Winter Olympic Games.
“And as long as people are coming with the proper credentials, they’re not having any issues,” Bastian said.
With the airline continuing to profit from high demand from affluent customers, Delta, which is sponsoring Team USA in Milan, has forecast revenue growth of five to seven percent in the first quarter of 2026.
In January, Delta, a significant customer of European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in recent years, announced an order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with an additional 30 aircraft optioned.
The Boeing 737 MAX, which was involved in two deadly disasters in 2018 and 2019 that sparked a protracted period of trouble at Boeing, has not been operated by Delta, in contrast to other US carriers.
“Boeing is doing a good job of stabilizing the situation,” said Bastian, adding that the company had made progress under new leadership.
“As one of the largest global airlines in the world, you can’t rely only on Airbus. You have to have an ability to work with both suppliers,” Bastian said.
“And we’re now at a point where we’re confident that Boeing is on the good side of recovery.”
