Business
Delta CEO says demand ‘at a stall,’ 2019 business travel may never return
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) expects its third-quarter revenue and flight capacity to be around 20% to 25% of last summer, with demand stalling amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and a sustainable industry recovery more than two years away.
“We’re at a stall right now,” Chief Executive Ed Bastian said on Tuesday.
Leisure demand that built up over June for travel to places like Las Vegas, Florida or New York has suffered due to fresh infections and quarantines, while growing to some mountain and international destinations.
Business demand will lag by 12 to 18 months as companies await a COVID-19 vaccine before feeling they can safely put employees back on the road, Bastian said, noting the realization that video calls can sometimes be more efficient.
That doesn’t mean business travel will disappear, but 2019 volumes may not return at scale.
“The number of trips that the average road warrior takes I’m sure is going to come down in certain cases,” he told analysts.
Shares were down 3.1%.
Delta cut the flights it planned to add in August to 500 from 1,000 as outbreaks accelerate.
The pandemic has forced airlines globally to park planes, cut costs and raise capital to stem losses.
Atlanta-based Delta stuck to its target to halt a daily cash burn, which hit $100 million at the start of the crisis but slowed to $27 million in June, this year though Bastian warned it will hinge on demand, which remains choppy and uncertain.
It sees the July burn rate steady at $27 million a day, with improvements as people feel more comfortable traveling.
Delta, the first U.S. airline to report quarterly results, posted a $2.8 billion adjusted net loss, or $4.43 per share, for the second quarter as passenger revenue plummeted 94% during a season that some analysts call the worst in aviation history.
It had $15.7 billion in liquidity at the end of June and has not decided whether to take a $4.6 billion secured loan under the CARES Act as it eyes other financing involving similar collateral.
It already received $5.4 billion in taxpayer funds to cover payroll through September.
Large U.S. airlines have warned of furloughs in October when the stimulus runs out, but Bastian said he hoped to avoid furloughs after more than 17,000 employees opted for buyouts.
Over 45,000 employees have taken varying short-term leaves.
Limited seating
Delta may continue blocking middle seats beyond September thanks to demand for comfort but warned it cannot make money filling only 60% of its planes.
“You can’t raise prices high enough, particularly when your competition isn’t blocking middle seats and has a lot more supply out there,” Bastian said.
Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) too is limiting seating capacity through September, but rivals American Airlines (AAL.O) and United Airlines (UAL.O) have added thousands of flights with all seats for sale on hopes of picking up leisure summer demand.
Delta is more geared toward business travel, but Bastian said its SkyMiles loyalty data showed business customers traveling for personal reasons and willing to pay a premium.
Delta, which had been expanding aggressively through international partnerships, wrote down $1.1 billion against its recent LATAM Airlines (LTM.SN) investment and $770 million against Grupo AeroMexico (AEROMEX.MX) after their Chapter 11 filings.
It also booked a $200 million charge against its stake in British airline Virgin Atlantic, which on Tuesday agreed to a private-only rescue deal.
Reporting and photo: Reuters
Business
Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space
Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has announced the opening of Feydhoo Hall, a landmark event venue at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives, redefining the possibilities for meetings, celebrations, and destination events in the Maldives.
Designed to bring scale, flexibility, and creativity to island gatherings, Feydhoo Hall represents a bold step forward in positioning the Maldives as a dynamic destination for conferences, weddings, and large-scale social occasions.
Feydhoo Hall offers a versatile event complex designed to accommodate a wide range of gatherings, from corporate meetings and conferences to weddings and social celebrations.

At its core is the 390 sqm Main Hall, capable of hosting:
- Up to 300 guests in theatre-style setup
- Up to 240 guests for dining and banquet-style events
- Up to 200 guests for cocktail-style receptions
- Up to 144 guests in cluster-round configuration
Enhancing the flexibility of the venue are additional dedicated spaces, including:
- A 110 sqm Veranda Terrace, ideal for welcome receptions, breakout sessions, and pre-event gatherings, accommodating up to 100 guests for cocktail-style events.
- A spacious 1,000 sqm Lawn Space, perfect for large-scale outdoor celebrations, destination weddings, and open-air events, accommodating up to 400 guests for cocktail receptions and up to 350 guests for dining setups.
- The 55 sqm Ekugai Meeting Room, designed for smaller meetings and executive sessions, accommodating up to 30 guests in theatre or dining setup and 24 guests in cluster-round format.
Together, these integrated spaces create a seamless indoor-outdoor event experience, allowing planners to design dynamic and personalised event journeys.
True to the dusitD2 brand’s lifestyle-driven philosophy, Feydhoo Hall introduces a fresh approach to meetings and events — where productivity meets creativity in an inspiring island setting.
The venue offers flexible meeting formats designed to suit different event needs, including:
- Half-Day Meeting Package (4 hours) — ideal for focused sessions, executive meetings, and creative workshops.
- Full-Day Meeting Package (8 hours) — designed for immersive conferences, extended workshops, and large-scale corporate gatherings.
These thoughtfully structured packages provide planners with the flexibility to create impactful and seamless experiences, whether hosting intimate strategy sessions or dynamic full-day events.

Located just seven minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives combines accessibility with vibrant lifestyle energy, offering event planners and guests a rare balance between convenience and tropical escape.
With the introduction of Feydhoo Hall, the resort strengthens its position as a versatile destination — not only for leisure travellers but also for international conferences, creative retreats, luxury weddings, and large-scale social celebrations seeking something refreshingly different in the Maldives.
Business
BBM expands retail presence with new Hulhumalé outlet
Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) opened a new wholesale store in Hulhumalé Phase 2 on Monday.
The outlet is located on the ground floor of Lot 20286, Nirolhu Magu, and is intended to improve access to BBM’s imported goods for residents of Hulhumalé Phase 2 and for businesses operating in the area.
According to the company, the opening forms part of its plan to expand services closer to customers in line with population growth in Hulhumalé.
With the opening of the new store, BBM’s full range of imported and distributed products will be available at the Hulhumalé Phase 2 location. These include consumer goods from international brands such as Lifebuoy, Vaseline and Unilever.
The store will also stock wholesale food products from brands including Daily, Cavin’s and Redman.
BBM has supplied goods to resorts, hotels and retail outlets across the Maldives for several years.
Action
Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah
Ataraxis Grand & Spa recently hosted a week-long, closed corporate offsite in Fuvahmulah for a US-based artificial intelligence company, highlighting the island’s growing suitability for integrated work-and-experience retreats. The retreat brought a group of 36 international professionals to the property, which was reserved exclusively for the programme.
Designed as a private company offsite, the stay combined structured daily work sessions with guided diving and beginner-friendly surf experiences, creating a balanced format that blended focused collaboration with physical reset.

A notable component of the programme was dive training and certification. During the retreat, 17 participants completed their Open Water certification, while a further six undertook the Advanced Open Water course, with training and dives scheduled alongside work sessions as part of the integrated itinerary.
Throughout the week, participants worked on-site using dedicated shared spaces supported by reliable high-speed internet, allowing meetings, informal collaboration and scheduled activities to take place within a single, uninterrupted environment. This setup enabled teams to move seamlessly between work periods and organised ocean activities without leaving the property.

Fuvahmulah’s natural and operational advantages formed a key part of the retreat’s appeal. As one of the Maldives’ largest inhabited islands, it offers immediate access to pelagic dive sites, internationally recognised shark diving and surf breaks suitable for instruction, alongside the infrastructure required to support extended group stays.

The offsite reflects a growing preference among technology and knowledge-sector teams for small-scale retreats that prioritise concentrated work environments and team cohesion over traditional conference formats. Such programmes typically involve longer stays and higher per-capita spend, aligning with sustainable, quality-driven tourism models.
The retreat also demonstrates how locally operated properties such as Ataraxis Grand & Spa are supporting this shift by delivering unified environments where accommodation, workspaces, connectivity and curated experiences operate as a single programme rather than separate services.

As organisations continue to explore alternative formats for strategy sessions, team resets and creative offsites, Ataraxis Grand & Spa’s experience positions Fuvahmulah as an increasingly viable destination for integrated corporate retreats.
Ataraxis Grand & Spa offers work-and-dive retreat programmes in Fuvahmulah that combine accommodation, dedicated workspaces, high-speed connectivity and organised diving and surfing.

Further information on retreat formats and dive-inclusive stays is available via the Ataraxis Grand & Spa website.
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