Like other airlines, Delta Air Lines paid higher fuel prices this past quarter, but saved seven cents a gallon by owning its own oil refinery in Trainer, reports The Bharat Express-News.

Delta pays an average price of $2.79 per gallon for fuel, up 33% from the last quarter of last year. That cost includes the 7 cents per gallon saving. The refinery also received almost $1.2 billion in third-party sales revenue.  

Delta saw booming sales this past quarter.

First-quarter consumer demand was up, driven by spring break travel, office re-openings, and the lifting of travel restrictions.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said March operations were profitable, despite fuel costs.

 “With a strong rebound in demand as Omicron faded, we returned to profitability in the month of March,” Bastian said in a statement.

The company expects a continual rise in fuel prices, between $3.20 and $3.35 a gallon.

Domestic business travel has recovered around 70% for Delta in March, compared to 2019.

International business travel has recovered to around 50%.

Revenue from premium seat sales on domestic flights had fully recovered to 2019 levels last month.

Read more at The Bharat Express-News about Delta’s first-quarter finances and how the refinery in Trainer saved them some money on jet fuel.

Here’s a 2020 video looking at why Delta decided to buy the oil refinery in Trainer.