Delta Air Lines Edges Higher as JetBlue Creditors Hire Restructuring Advisers and Options Traders Target DAL Calls

Delta Air Lines stock moved modestly higher on October 26 as the broader airline sector held firm despite turbulence at JetBlue Airways, whose shares tumbled 16% to around $2 after a creditor group hired restructuring advisers in preparation for a possible restructuring of the carrier.

The divergence in share performance underscored Delta's relative stability within the sector. United Airlines also rose approximately 3% on the same session, suggesting investor rotation toward carriers seen as financially sound.

In the options market, traders flagged unusual activity in DAL December 87.5/95 call spreads, a bullish positioning that implies expectations for a move toward the upper end of that range by December expiration. Separately, JetBlue's October 30 expiry 2.5 calls also drew unusual volume, pointing to speculative interest around any near-term restructuring developments at that carrier.

A separate Seeking Alpha note flagged that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby's public advocacy for a national wealth tax and a near 100% inheritance tax could expose high fixed-cost carriers, including Delta, to broader regulatory scrutiny, though Delta's Quant Rating was listed as Hold.