Delta Air Lines' financial performance has taken off.Delta Air Lines (DAL -1.24%) recently closed the books on a record-setting quarter. The quarter follows a successful 2023 that marked a full return to normal operations following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many consumer-facing businesses, Delta was forced to borrow money to stay in business thanks to pandemic- and shutdown-related pressures. Persistent inflation and economic uncertainty throughout 2022 kept the brakes on Delta's recovery, ...