Southwest Airlines says Delta variant is leading travelers to cancel trips

The highly contagious Delta variant has darkened the outlook for Southwest Airlines, one of the largest carriers in the U.S., which said that it may not turn a profit in the third quarter as COVID-19 infections spread.

The revelation, contained in a Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, comes just three weeks after Southwest CEO Gary Kelly called the airline's most recent quarter a "milestone" after turning a profit in June without government assistance. The airline said Wednesday that it was again profitable in July, but that the recent negative effects of the pandemic on August and September revenue will make profitability less likely in the third quarter if the benefits of temporary salaries and wages relief are excluded.