(RTTNews) -  Air carrier Delta Air Lines (DAL: News ) reported Thursday a wider loss for the third-quarter, hurt chiefly by one-time charges and higher operating expenses, notwithstanding a revenue growth of 32%.

For the third quarter, net loss widened to $161 million or $0.19 per share from $50 million or $0.13 per share in the previous year. The results of the latest quarter included merger-related items of $78 million, charges towards employee severance programs of $51 million, and loss on extinguishment of debt of $83 million. The results of the prior year included early termination of fees, merger-related and restructuring charges of $24 million.

Excluding items, earnings were $51 million or $0.06 a share. On average, 11 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report loss of $0.05 per share in the third quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Weighted average shares outstanding was 828 million, compared to 396 million a year ago.

Total revenue for the quarter increased 32% to $7.57 billion from $5.72 billion, attributable to its merger with Northwest Airlines. Eight analysts were expecting revenue of $7.61 billion in the third quarter.

Delta acquired 100% ownership of Northwest and is in the process of fully integrating Northwest into the Delta family. During the integration period, Delta and Northwest continue to operate their own branded aircraft until the process is complete.

Total passenger revenue grew to $6.52 billion from $4.98 billion, as Mainline revenue increased to $5.12 billion from $3.92 billion,921, and revenue from regional carriers rose to $1.40 billion from $1.06 billion.
Revenue Passenger Miles dipped 3.2% to 53.37 billion from 55.13 billion, as capacity measured in terms of Available Seat Miles declined 4.4% to 62.23 billion from 65.09 billion.

Operating expense for the quarter increased 32% year-over-year to $7.37 billion from $5.58 billion, reflecting a sharp increase in salaries and related costs to $1.89 billion from $1.08 billion.

For the nine-month period, net loss narrowed to $1.21 billion or $1.47 per share from $7.48 billion or $18.91 per share in fiscal 2008. Total operating revenue advanced 33% to $21.26 billion from $15.98 billion in the same period last year.

Hank Halter, Delta's Chief Financial Officer, said, "Despite our significant capacity reductions, Delta successfully mitigated unit cost pressures through improved productivity, strong cost discipline and accelerating our merger synergies," Halter added that while the company could face more cost pressures in the fourth quarter from new capacity reductions, it expects to offset most of the impact.

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