Delta ups dividend, plans share buyback

[ATLANTA] Delta Air Lines boosted its dividend by 50 per cent and authorised a US$2 billion stock buyback, as airlines start putting cash back into shareholders' pockets.

Investors will receive US$2.75 billion under the plan announced on Tuesday, Delta said. The quarterly payout will increase to nine cents a share from six cents starting in the September quarter. The share repurchase programme will be completed by Dec 31, 2016.

After a US$58 billion run of losses last decade, US airlines are trying to make themselves more attractive to investors. Southwest Airlines is also poised to increase dividends this month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Alaska…